Twisted
by reneencc
Summary: What if Aladdin and Judal were brothers? What changes will be brought by the twist in the past? "Darkness is coming." "Time will come when you will have to choose. To destroy or to save." "Now, tell me what's your choice?" Warning: OCC-ness and alternate plot. My first fanfic so I apologised for any mistake(s) made.
1. Chapter 1 : Al Sarmen

"Brother?"

Amber eyes snapped open. After blinking a few times to clear his vision, he turned towards the source of the voice and was immediately met with a pair of innocent blue eyes.

"Brother?" The owner of the blue eyes called out again, unsure. The elder boy groaned as his peaceful nap was disturbed but couldn't help softening his gaze upon the young child in front of him.

"Yes? What's it, Aladdin?" He tried to sound as impatient as he could. The younger boy whose name was Aladdin fidgeted nervously for a while, casting nervous glances at the elder. He couldn't help but raising an eyebrow, curious of what the young child wanted.

Finally, the young boy mustered up his courage and blurted out, "Can I play with the water by the pond, please?" He pleaded. The elder boy blinked and sighed before answering, "No, you can't."

"Ow, please, please, just for a little while," The four-years-old boy frowned and begged with his best puppy dog eyes.

"No," the elder boy stated. He ignored the younger's pleading and turned his head away from the adorable act his little brother was trying to pull.

"But-," Aladdin began but his protest was interrupted.

"No buts. You know mom and dad won't be happy if you return home wet," the elder boy folded his arms childishly despite being the elder.

"Don't worry! I'll make sure I don't get wet and if big brother Judal doesn't tell them, then they will never know!" the child exclaimed happily. A big grin settled on his face as if it was the best idea in the world. The other boy now known as Judal sighed again and poked Aladdin's forehead softly but hard enough to earn a yelp from the boy.

"Ouch, what's that for?" the boy held his sore forehead and nursed it.

"No means no, Aladdin and that's final," Judal concluded. Aladdin pouted and with a huff he turned his head away from Judal as he sat down beside him. Judal casted a lazy glance at the pouting child and sighed the umpteenth time that day.

"Aladdin," Judal called. A few seconds passed but neither response nor movement was received from the other. And that confirmed it. Aladdin was angry with him and Judal never liked it when Aladdin was angry with him. It would always end up with an unresponsive Aladdin and Judal hated to be ignored.

"Aladdin," he tried to get a response out of the silent boy which included poking, tickling and coaxing but still nothing, as expected anyway.

"Fine, I give in. You can play with the water," Judal declared, defeated by his younger brother. Almost instantly, Aladdin's ear perked up and the next moment, he was pulling his elder brother into a tight hug.

"I love you! Big brother Judal!" Aladdin's eyes beamed with ecstasy. Judal was a bit shocked at the sudden change but he could not fight off the soft smile spreading across his face as he ruffled Aladdin's blue hair affectionately. "Just make sure that you don't get too wet."

Nodding, Aladdin departed as fast as his small legs could take him to the pond and dipped his legs into the water. He giggled and sighed in content at the coldness of the liquid against his skin while his golden flute shone in brilliance under the sunlight.

Judal followed the zealous child, all the while thinking if he had spoilt his younger brother that much. He watched Aladdin's waist length braid danced with the wind and noticed the golden item.

"Aladdin, you should put away the flute first!" Judal advised as he shortened their distance.

"No, it's fine!" Aladdin answered, scooping up water with his small palms.

"Are you sure?" Judal asked. He sat down by the pond with his legs crossed.

"Yes, it's a gift from brother and I want it to be by my side forever! Besides, I've promised to take good care of it," Aladdin insisted, touching his flute tenderly.

Judal said nothing and shut his eyes to enjoy the warm breeze. It was useless to try and go back to sleep after all. Boring might be the right word to describe what he was feeling right now. Then all of the sudden, the light bulb flashed as he got the exact right idea on how to spend his time. He grinned mischievously. Keeping an eye on Aladdin, he slipped to Aladdin's side almost soundlessly.

"Aladdin," he purred at the younger's ear. Aladdin jumped, dropping the water he collected in his palms. Aladdin turned to protest but was met with splashes of water directly at his face. He coughed and wiped his face with his sleeves, mumbling incoherent protests and threats.

Judal laughed when Aladdin glared him with a gaze that said 'just you wait, I'll get my revenge.' He barely had time to dodge the water attack thrown at him and when he did manage to dodge it, he was forced to face a few more splashes of water which he dodged gracefully. Getting bored with dodging, Judal launched a few attacks on Aladdin as well and most of them hit their marks as his were faster.

After a while, Aladdin was fuming because he was as wet as a drown rat whereas Judal was still dry, sitting by the pond with a proud smirk on his face. None of his attack hit Judal even when it came really close, the elder teen always managed to twist his body and avoid getting damp. Aladdin soon gave up on getting his revenge.

Judal smiled and lied down, closing his eyes, relaxed at the sound of the rustling leaves. It was indeed a peaceful afternoon. Maybe not so peaceful…

The wind picked up its speed. The atmosphere grew tenser. The dark clouds gathered and most importantly, the Rukh was getting restless. Judal sat up immediately before dizziness flooded his mind. He ignored it and tried to stand.

"Aladdin!" He bellowed, hoping to hear a reply from the younger but when he received none, he panicked. He stumbled and leaned against a nearby tree as support, waiting for the dizziness to go away.

Feeling better, he hurried to scan the area. His heart was beating so fast that it felt as if it would soon jump out of his chest.

"Aladdin!" He called again, searching frantically for the familiar blue until he spotted it in the corner of his eyes.

Aladdin was there in the middle of the pond. His blue bang was covering his eyes. Judal ran to his side rather clumsily as the water was getting in his way.

"Aladdin!" He shouted. Aladdin stayed rooted in the pond. His eyes were wide and devoid of life as if in shock. By the time Judal reached Aladdin, he shook Aladdin's shoulders, hoping that he would snap out of whatever trance he was in.

Fortunately, after a few rounds of shaking, Aladdin jerked. He looked up to meet his brother's red eyes with his fearful eyes. His eyes slowly turned back to normal though he was obviously scared. Seeing that Aladdin was back to the world of living again, Judal let out a sigh of relief and kneeled down to gather Aladdin in an embrace, whispering soft, soothing words to the still boy. The boy's once tensed frame melted in the warm embrace.

"Brother, the white birds are panicking. Something bad had happened to the town. They tell me that the darkness is coming," Aladdin said. Trembling slightly and clutched his brother's clothes tightly with his tiny fingers. He was frightened when he saw it; the flock of dark Rukh that was crowding the town that they were residing.

Judal was appalled but did not cease his efforts of calming the quivering child in his arms. The Rukh was flying around and he could see the dark aura emitting from the town. He picked up Aladdin and rushed towards the town. Worries were streaming in his veins. Aladdin made no noise, burying his head into his brother's clothes.

"What?" Judal was at a loss of word when he saw the town. It was horrible. Hundreds of bodies were lying here and there as well as the stench of blood that was in the air. Fire was having a wild party, licking down the houses and buildings. Judal grimaced at the sight. When he felt the bundle in his arms shifted, he kept his hand on the younger's head to prevent him from taking in the sight before him.

'What's happening? Who? Why?' His thought was in a jumble. Thousands of questions came crashing down upon him and he could feel an oncoming headache. He was baffled. His mind failed to process anything useful under such circumstances.

"Brother! Look out!" He was pulled back to reality by a voice he knew too well and he turned quickly. His long, dark blue hair followed. His eyes widened at the figure towering him. A man, tall and strong-built with madness glittering in his eyes was holding a bloody sword. He edged closer and closer to the pair.

Judal held his brother in his arms protectively. The sword was held high and brought down swiftly. He shut his eyes and prepared for the pain. However, the pain never came. In its place, a 'thud' sound was heard after a grunt from the man.

Aladdin gasped and Judal's eyes flew open. The man who was standing tall a few seconds ago was now lying in the pool of his blood. The situation left Judal confused further more before he steadied himself with his guard up at whoever lurking in the darkness.

"Greeting, young ones loved by the Rukh." A deep voice sounded and a shadow appeared. The darkness subsided a bit to reveal a man with a cloth covering his head. He was surrounded by black Rukh.

"Who the hell are you?" Judal inquired rudely, eyeing the stranger with caution.

"Now, now that's not a polite way to talk to an elder, Judal. Besides-," with that, he disappeared from their sight before reappeared again right in front of Judal. "We don't want little Aladdin to pick up such vulgar language, do we?" he continued while patting Aladdin's head. The four-years-old flinched away from the touch and held onto Judal's clothes.

Judal backed away from the suspicious man, still holding Aladdin close. He gritted his teeth and glared at the figure. His amber eyes clearly showed defiance. The man was not affected by the hostile glare he received. Instead, he looked rather amused.

"Who're you and how do you know our names?" Judal demanded. His amber eyes flared dangerously while Aladdin's blue ones were filled with confusion and hesitation. The man chuckled and as if on cue, several more figures emerged from the darkness, all with their faces safely covered.

"We? We're Al Sarmen and we're here to assist you."


	2. Chapter 2 : The begining

**A/N: Greetings everyone. Here's chapter 2! Originally, I didn't think of continuing this story but seeing the response I got, I decided to do so. For those who have reviewed, I would like to apologise for my inability to reply each and every one of your kind reviews (I'm a bit short of time as always) but your reviews really made my day. I would like to thank all of you who are willing to read this story of mine and I apologised beforehand for any mistake(s) that I made.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own ****Magi Labyrinth of Magic.**

**Warning: OCC-ness**

**Chapter 2 : The beginning**

_The world is a country which nobody ever yet knew by description; one must travel through it one's self to be acquainted with it. ~__**Lord Chesterfield**__._

"_It seemed that we've failed."_ A deep voice sounded through the large empty space.

"**No matter it's still not too late. We still have a chance though the only thing we can do now is wait.**" Another sound, inhuman and mysterious echoed.

"_Yes, as you wish, beloved King Solomon."_

~6 years later~

The Kou Empire was a large nation that was militaristic. It was considered one of the most powerful nations because of his large armies and recently the number of Dungeon Capturers.

The veil of morning was clearing as the Sun penetrated through it. The dewdrops were dropping from the leaves while the crickets sang their songs. The wind came slowly, caressing the Earth and the grass bent as if enjoying the breeze.

The morning was refreshing and calm. A man stood within the thick walls of the castle amidst the spacious garden, glancing at the myriad of flowers and breathing in the air that carried the fragrance of the flowers. His black cape fluttered as the wind came blowing, showing off the status of the man as the strongest general of the proud Kou Empire, Kouen Ren. He soon sat down on a stone chair besides a round table where a tea set was carefully laid, not to mention some books and documents that he would eventually have to look through. He poured himself a cup of tea and sipped it. It was the finest tea in the world, Tianchi tea or best known as "Heaven Pool."

He continued to scan through a few more documents after setting down the teacup. Compared to the suffocating room, he preferred outdoors where the air and view were a lot more relaxing. Putting away the documents, he proceeded with the reports. Such a workaholic…

It was until later he heard the sound of footsteps echoing behind him. He ignored it, assuming that probably some servants or royalties and calmly sipped his still warm tea.

"Kouen~" A voice sang out cheerfully behind him and the next second, the owner of the voice pounced onto his back.

"Judal," the man, Kouen droned with a straight face while Judal was busy steadying himself on Kouen's back by draping his arms onto the elder's shoulders.

"Did you see Aladdin? I can't find him anywhere," Judal asked, still hanging on the other's back.

"No," Kouen answered almost immediately. Judal pouted and jumped off Kouen's back swiftly.

"I wonder where he is," he mumbled as he landed on the ground. Kouen made no sound, merely stared at him as Judal scratched the back of his head with a small frown on his face.

"If I'm not mistaken, Aladdin will be allowed to go out today," Kouen uttered. His words caught Judal's attention and with a big grin, he nodded, "Yep and I promised to take him out too." Kouen nodded slightly before glancing at the blue sky. It was indeed a nice weather to be out and about.

"Did you consider asking Kouha or Koumei?" He suggested to the troubled teen.

"Yes, in fact I've already asked them…but you've seen the result," Judal replied with a sigh.

"What about Hakuryuu?" Instantly, Judal beamed.

"Oh yeah, why didn't I think of him earlier? He's close to Aladdin so I bet he knew where he's," Judal said confidently and carrying his new found hope, he skipped to the training field where he was positively sure that Hakuryuu was after muttering words of thanks to Kouen.

~Meanwhile…~

"Wow, this is amazing!" A young boy with blue hair exclaimed as he peered down at the Earth below with his sparkling blue eyes from his seat on a magic turban. It was totally different from what he saw and read in the books or map. Sure the sceneries drawn in the books were somewhat similar but when you experienced their beauties personally, it was definitely on a whole new level.

The boy had woken up early (very early) in the morning and decided to sneak a peek of the outside world first as he failed miserably to wake his older brother.

'Big brother Judal must be really angry now,' Aladdin could not help but worried a tad about his brother's reaction at his sudden disappearance. However, his musing was cut short by a loud grumbling. Rubbing his stomach, the now-ten-years-old smiled sheepishly. Maybe, it was not a good idea to skip breakfast. His previous worries were set aside. After all, food came first, didn't it?

He lied sprawled on the turban. Came to think of it, he didn't know a thing about the outside world. How could he possibly know how to interact with others, let alone obtaining food? He was pondering on ways to feed his empty stomach which was demanding food for every passing second when he heard loud chattering and laughter from below.

His eyes roved over the group of men that were gathering below. What a great timing! Wasting no time at all, he jumped from the flying cloth and landed silently in the middle of the crowd.

"Hiya! I'm Aladdin, a traveller. Can you please kindly spare me some food and water?" Aladdin requested, startling most of the men. Silence fell like a blanket upon them and they stared at each other for the longest hours before roars of laughter erupted. Aladdin looked around, a quizzical look on his face.

"You come to a den of thieves and ask them to give you some food?" A man questioned wryly and that elicited another fit of uproarious laughter.

"Just take everything he has and sell it though I don't think we'll get much," another man commented while grinning madly. Aladdin was sweating profusely as he thought, 'desert thieves? It seems that I've just picked the worst person in the world to help. What luck.'

He inhaled sharply as a man held him high by his clothes.

"Hey, look at this," the ugly man declared and gestured at the golden flute. "It's gold!" He added and endeavoured to grab it but his hand was snapped away by Aladdin's smaller one.

"Don't touch that," Aladdin whispered darkly.

"Huh?"

"Don't…touch…THAT!" Aladdin hollered. The man was taken aback by the sudden outburst and released his hold on the small child. The child dropped to the ground while the atmosphere tensed. The thieves wanted to laugh and mock the child but soon found themselves unable to as the aura around the helpless child changed into something… sinister.

Blue turned red and everything faded to black with piercing shouts and screams in the air.

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"Hakuryuu~"

The said person resisted the urge to sigh, hearing the sing-sung voice from a certain priest. He lowered his spear and prepared himself to dodge whatever coming. Despite his efforts, he was still tackled down by Judal. Annoyed, he groaned and blew his lank bangs from the front of his eyes.

"What're you doing here and GET OFF OF ME!" Hakuryuu protested, struggling against the extra weight on his back. Judal obliged, but not after a few teasing and comments on how he sounded and complained like a girl.

"So, what do you want?" Hakuryuu glowered at the dark-haired teen in front of him.

"How mean! I'm only here to ask whether you've seen Aladdin or not," Judal fake cried, causing Hakuryuu to facepalm himself at the childish display.

"Aladdin? Did something happen to him?" Hakuryuu inquired.

"No, I'm just wondering where he went. I promised to take him out today," Judal replied. The prince paused, thinking back as if to recall something.

"Ah!" He let out. That successfully gained Judal's full attention. "I've seen him departing early this morning. He said that he want to visit a few places first because of his inability to wake certain someone," he resumed, throwing sideway glances at the other.

"What? That chibi! " Judal growled.

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"Achoo!" Aladdin sneezed. 'Someone must be talking about me. Nah, maybe it's just my imagination.' Aladdin mused and continued rummaging through the stolen good, hoping to find something edible but he found nothing so far. The thieves were now lying in a huge heap, totally knocked out. Aladdin collapsed onto the ground sweating after he had done looking through the last pile of items.

"I can't believe this. There's no food here! How can they call themselves thieves anyways?" Aladdin complained. Frustration clearly showed on his face. He pressed a comforting hand on his grumbling stomach, feeling more drained than before. It was until later that he discovered or rather noticed a piece of paper that was set on the small, poorly nailed wooden table. A few stones were placed carefully on each corner of the seemly old paper to prevent the wind from carrying it away in its playful dances. Aladdin scanned dully across the paper or the so called map. His gaze stopped at a small town marked with a red circle.

"Oasis City Utan, huh? Sounds like a nice place plus it's not that far away," he thought out loud and hoped onto the magic turban. Let's go!

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Hakuryuu heaved a heavy sign at the sight in front of him. Judal, the infamous priest as well as the greatest magician in the world was sulking in the corner with dark clouds over his head.

"Priest?" Hakuryuu called. No response. He had a headache seeing the theatrics which led him to wonder exactly how Aladdin was able to bear these every single day. Truly, the younger's level of tolerance was admirably high.

"I've wanted to ask this for a while now but why can't Aladdin go to the outside world?" Hakuryuu asked. He expected no answer from the sulking figure but he was soon proven wrong.

"It's because he's still unstable," Judal answered while recovering from his previous position. His eyes depicted seriousness. Now that was a fast change.

"What do you mean by unstable?"

"I'm not quite sure myself. All I know was that he's compatible with both the black and white Rukh, which eventually lead to his unstable mental state. Sometimes, his spilt personalities scared me as well," Judal shuddered, recalling the event that had occurred a few years ago. He definitely did not want to relive that day again. Sparing a glance at Hakuryuu, he could conclude that the prince still remembered that particular incident due to his pale face.

"Well, that's that. I think I'll need to find Aladdin now. That chibi is a magnet that attracted endless troubles. He may be getting into hot water now," Judal claimed and trotted away, pushing the memories of that day away into his deepest mind.

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"Ouch!" Aladdin yelped as he received a punch on the head by a pretty but not so kind lady.

"What're you doing to our precious merchandise?" The lady yelled.

"Precious? I'm so sorry. I've never had something like that before so I can't resist it. If there's some way for me to pay you back, I'll greatly comply," Aladdin stated apologetically.

So, that was how it ended up with Aladdin working for the cavaran for three days. The cavaran leader's daughter, Sahsa was kind enough to him but he knew that she was too trusting and naïve whereas the pretty lady, Leila was mean and paranoid. She also seemed to be very protective when it came to Sahsa. Who knew? Maybe opposite do attract.

Two days passed and Aladdin was getting rather boring. However, he somehow felt that something interesting was going to happen soon since he had noticed a few shabby-looking guys muttering among themselves a day before when he was helping Leila to carry some loads. For the sake of that, he would wait and see.

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"No, you can't take Route Three! A band of thieves has their hideout there or so I've heard." Aladdin awoke from his slumber, hearing Leila's distressed voice. He yawned and stretched his back, his eyes searching for the source of commotion.

"But taking Route Three would be much shorter and the thieves' hideout might not actually be there," others argued. Leila seemed like wanting to protest further but was interrupted by the same dirty looking men Aladdin perceived before. Aladdin immediately grimaced at the sight of the men but couldn't help feeling a bit excited as to what would happen next.

"She's a thief!" The ill-bred men announced. Somehow Aladdin was not as surprised as he thought he would be. Maybe it was because he never really cared about it.

The cavaran leader obviously didn't trust Leila whereas Sahsa was quite torn apart. Therefore, the cavaran went for Route Three, the very same route that the thieves were hiding. He stared at the longing back of Leila. She was in deep contemplation when the cavaran left.

Human was such a strange creature. When they discovered the past of someone else, they often judged them by those insignificant things though some might overlooked their past but none would actually forget about it.

"Lady, shouldn't you go and save your friend?" Aladdin asked.

"What for? It's not like they would trust what a thief said right? I was mistaken from the very beginning. I've no friend. I'm just a thief and I think I'll go back to being one then," she chuckled bitterly.

"But she's your precious friend, isn't she? You've changed, don't you? I can see that you really mean it when you said that you decided to live without telling lies," Aladdin didn't know why he was comforting or persuading her to save her friends. Maybe she reminded him of someone he knew who always lied to hide the overwhelming emotions in their hearts. Soon, the lady broke down, saying that it was too late to save anyone.

"Don't worry! I'll make sure that we catch up with them!" Aladdin declared and held his hand out for Leila to grab on. Leila took the offered hand after a moment's deliberation. Determination glittered in her eyes.

"Fly, magic turban!"

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The cavaran was surrounded by hundreds of thieves each armed with weapons. The cavaran members were panicking as they watched in fear at the thieves.

"What Leila said…was true…" Sahsa's father gasped and Sahsa was tearing up, feeling bad because she had doubted her best friend, Leila.

'I'm sorry, Leila!' was her last thought. She shut her eyes when the head of the thieves grabbed her by her hair, his knife shinning dangerously in the air.

"Wait!"

"What?" The leader halted his movements and looked upwards, to where the sound came from. He was soon brought down to the ground by a strong step right on his face.

"Sahsa! Are you alright?" Leila followed Aladdin's lead and took out another thief who was holding Sahsa's father.

"Leila!" The dark-skinned teen exclaimed. "I'm so sorry!"

"It's okay, dummy! We're friends, aren't we?" Leila said, patting Sahsa's head as she cried.

"Umm, sorry to interrupt you two but I think this is not the best time to be having a reunion," Aladdin reminded the pair. The thieves had gotten over their initial shocks and were angered at the fact that some random kids were getting in their ways.

Leila's eyes went wide with fear. She feared that they might never make it out alive when several soft 'thud' were heard. She looked around and saw the members of the cavaran lying on the ground, unconscious and that included Sahsa.

"What's happening?" She rushed to Sahsa's side. However, she was too overcome by a wave of drowsiness. Before her consciousness faded completely, she was sure she heard something.

"Don't worry, lady. I'll take care of the rest. It's better that you don't see what's going to happen next," Aladdin said before averting his attention to the group of thieves. The thieves were bewildered at the sudden collapsing of their prey and took a cautious step back.

A chuckle reverberated from the young boy who was the only one remained standing. White and black Rukh came twirling and dancing around the boy.

"Now, entertain me!" Aladdin bellowed. His right eye grew darker until it turned blood red and a smile flashed across his face. The thieves sensing the turn of table scrambled away for their lives. Trepidation filling their very beings but all was in vain and so they were all gone.

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"Ugh!" Aladdin grunted. He was wiping away some blood that managed to reach him when he was 'sweeping' away some filthy 'dusts'.

"Having fun?" A voice was heard right above him. Knowing the voice too well, he greeted without even looking, "Big brother."

Aladdin could feel the air around him moved and there he was, standing right in front of Aladdin. Aladdin had barely enough time to stop a grin from spreading through his facial because Judal was frowning with a slightly unkempt hair. Judal might be the expert in masking his true feelings but the dishevelled appearance was a big giveaway of how fretful he had been during these days.

"Come on. Let's go," Judal told him explicitly.

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Leila woke up with a terrible headache. On her side was Sahsa whose anxiety was clearly evidenced on her face.

"What's happened?" Her sound was hoarse and she kindly accepted the drink Sahsa offered to her.

"Everything's fine now. We don't know exactly what'd happened but I still want to thank you for coming to save us," Sahsa replied and Leila showed a small smile, embarrassed. Then, as if remembered something, she turned her head left and right. This gained a confused tilt of head from Sahsa.

"Where's Aladdin?" Leila enquired.

"Oh, it seemed like he has already left by the time we woke up," Sahsa explained. "But he did leave a note," she added thoughtfully and fished out a folded paper from her pocket.

"Here." Leila received the paper and unfolded it.

"_I'M TERRIBLY SORRY THAT I'VE TO LEAVE EARLY AS I STILL HAVE MATTERS TO ATTAIN TO. THANKS FOR THE FOOD AND CARE YOU ALL HAVE GIVEN ME THESE FEW DAYS. I HOPE WE'LL BE ABLE TO MEET AGAIN IN THE FUTURE._

_P.S. BE SURE TO SMILE OFTEN, LADY BECAUSE YOU MIGHT SCARE MEN AWAY WITH THAT SCARY FACE OF YOURS!_

_FROM ALADDIN"_

"That little brat!"

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The night sky was a mysterious beauty with millions of stars decorating it and not to mention the white moon. In the beauty of the night, the duo travelled under the moonlight on a red flying carpet.

"So, did you have fun today?" Judal asked with a raise of eyebrow.

"Yes!" Aladdin yelled, punching his small palms into the air.

"You didn't kill them all, the thieves I mean," Judal stated and sat with his legs crossed.

"Of course not! Who do you think I'm? Brother Kouha? Besides-" Aladdin protested. His tone suddenly turned a few notes lower, "it's not a bad idea to let them suffer from trauma for the rest of their pitiful lives." And the evil cackles began. Judal sweatdropped. There he went again…

The duo spent the next moment in silence, simply admiring the night.

"Hey, big brother? Where're we going now?" Aladdin sliced through the silence. Judal looked at the younger's curious face and pulled out a map. He gestured at a point.

"Qishan. There's a dungeon there," Judal said.

"Dungeon?" Aladdin yawned.

"A dungeon is a strange place with an unknown culture and never before seen architecture. It is indestructible with only one entrance with light emitting from it. We as magi have the power to make the dungeon appear or disappear at will. Therefore, I'm going to…" Judal stopped his explanation when he heard soft snoring noise from the younger boy.

He looked down and saw the young child sleeping in his laps, occasionally nuzzling closer to Judal. Judal sighed and patted on his head. Normally, he would have complained for being ignored but he would let it slip this time. A pair of white and black Rukh came fluttering their way onto the younger's head and waited there.

"That's right. I'll have to thank you guys for helping and protecting him," Judal whispered, careful not to startle the sleeping child. Satisfied, the Rukh flapped their wings and departed towards the horizon.

And so, the journey began.

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"_It has finally commenced. The wheel of fate had begun its turn. I shall not fail you again, your majesty King Solomon."_


	3. Chapter 3 : Aladdin and Alibaba

**A/N: Hi again. Thanks again for those who bothered to read my story. If you want, you can check out a one shot I wrote for this story. It is called 'Days'. For those who had kindly left me reviews, I would like to give my earnest gratitude to you all and the best gift I can present to you all is a new chapter. Like always, I apologise for any mistake(s) I made.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own ****Magi Labyrinth of Magic.**

**Warning: OCC-ness**

**Chapter 3 : Aladdin and Alibaba**

_Don't matter how much money you got, there's only two kinds of people: there's saved people and there's lost people._~**Bob Dylan**

"Wakey, wakey, sleepyhead!"

Aladdin groaned and mumbled some incoherent words before stuffing his head further into the blanket to prevent the blinding light from entering.

"Come on! Wake up!" Judal shook the younger's body lightly, prying away the warm blanket from Aladdin's iron grips.

"Who's the deep sleeper now, huh?" Judal complained as Aladdin shifted in his sleep, still showing no sign of leaving the comforting arms of sleep. Judal plopped back down to his seat and rubbed the back of his head. What should he do now? Then, his eyes caught sight of the city; Qishan, their destination and glittered. He approached the snoring child and bent down. He purred softly in his ear, "We're here."

The response was almost immediate. The boy shot up and stood upright, discarding the blanket in the process. Judal was thrown off balance, nearly fallen down the edge of the flying carpet which was looming over the town by a few hundred metres.

After he regained his composure, he could see Aladdin's small frame in front of him, peering at the town with wide blue eyes. All his sleepiness from before was gone and replaced by excitement and the thirst to know more about the outside world. Judal had to put his hands on the younger's shoulders as he was going to fall sooner or later with his enthusiasm. That was when he heard a cherubic giggle from his younger brother.

"Look! What's that?" The child pointed at the high tower-like structure in the middle of the city.

"That's the dungeon I told you about yesterday. This is the seventh dungeon, the Dungeon of Amon." Judal said.

"Amon," Aladdin repeated and continued to stare at the tall building. And subtly in the deepest recesses of his mind, he felt a strange pull.

"I'm going to make it collapse." Aladdin was brought out of his stupor by his older brother. He craned towards his brother only to find the dark haired teen making a sign while concentrating. "Having that weird tower there is annoying plus it will be troublesome if some weirdo managed to conquer it," Judal added.

"Wait!" Aladdin blanched. Before he could stop himself, he pounced onto Judal, tackling him down. Out of balance, Judal broke his concentration and the black Rukh scrambled away. Aladdin was perplexed. He didn't know why he had stopped his brother. He just felt that there was a need to do so and his instinct was mostly right. He stared down at his brother's displeased face that clearly spelled, 'why did you do that for?'

"Don't sink it yet please!" Aladdin begged while Judal's face was twisted into a mixture of confusion and irritation. Before Judal could open his mouth, Aladdin began again, "If I'm the one to conquer it, then it wouldn't be a trouble, right? Just please don't sink it now!"

Aladdin squeezed his eyes shut as an act of pleading with his hands placed together in front of him. He could hear the other's sigh before a warm hand landed on his head, ruffling his hair lightly.

"Fine."

"Really?" Aladdin was smiling cutely at him. His hands curled up into a fist as he looked at him with eyes filled with hope.

"Yes," Judal replied, still keeping his hand on Aladdin's silky blue hair. Aladdin threw his hands up happily. "However," Judal uttered, halting Aladdin momentarily. "Let's make it a bet then; if you manage to conquer the dungeon in four days' time, that's by noon on the fourth days starting from tomorrow, you win but if you can't, you lose. Deal?"

Aladdin tapped on his cheek and considered it for a minute before nodding. "Deal."

"One more condition; you must bring along another person that you think is capable of handling the dungeon and of course you'll have to make sure that he or she doesn't die halfway through the dungeon. If not, then it'll be your lose as well, 'kay?" Judal added while smirking rather devilishly. Aladdin pouted. He knew well that his social skill will be put on test and social skill was the only thing that he had no confidence in doing. Still, he agreed.

"What about the reward or punishment for the bet?" Aladdin inquired. Another smirk went past the elder's face and somehow Aladdin could palpably feel the malice leaking from the teen. He gulped and backed away slightly.

"Oh, don't you worry about that. It'll be decided soon after you win or lose the bet." Yup, definitely getting a really bad feeling about this.

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A young man was seemed loading a few sacks onto a cart. Setting down the last one, he let out a sigh of relief and wiped away the beads of sweat that had found their ways to his face with his sleeve. It was quite a scorching hot weather to be working even though he stayed under the shade for most of the times.

"You're working hard, aren't you Alibaba! Is there something going on?" An old man asked, seeing the zealous teen.

"I need to prepare these for Master Budel," Alibaba answered. Hearing the name of that greedy pig, another man groaned in displease and grimaced. Alibaba continued, saying that he's just trying to work towards his goal while paying the merchant with a mutter of thanks. He ignored the elders as they took him and his goal lightly though he could feel a pang of anger within himself. One day, he would definitely prove himself by conquering the Dungeon of Amon. One day surely he would.

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Aladdin passed through another row of shops and sighed. All he could notice were merchants and some customers talking and trading. Not quite the candidate he was searching for… That was when he noted a blonde haired young man talking with some people. Apparently, his name was Alibaba. The blonde haired teen felt different so he decided to follow him for a while.

Alibaba was setting down more loads into the cart whereas Aladdin was figuring ways to gain the other's attention. His eyes scanned over some delicious-looking fruits among the loads and he got an idea. It might hurt a little but it was worth trying so he sneaked onto one of the cart as silently as he could. He breathed in and prepared as he stared at the mouth-watering fruits. 'Here I go!'

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Alibaba was carrying the last load to the cart and he could help but feeling a bit happy and relieved as his back was getting sore for carrying the merchandises. Placing the heavy basket onto the cart, he proceeded to clamber into the cart.

'What?' was his next thought because in front of him, someone was making a meal of the melon which was one of the most precious mechanises.

"What are you doing?" Alibaba half screamed. Aladdin flinched before putting down the fruit and looked at him with a smile, "Hi! I'm Aladdin and I'm travelling. I hope you don't mind if I eat some of these incredibly sweet red fruits I found."

And Aladdin received a punch directly on his head. The familiar pain brought a sense of déjà vu as he nursed his abused head. However, before Alibaba's tirade commenced, he heard his name being called. He paled and quickly responded to the call from none other than Budel.

The fat man insisted to check over the loads even though Alibaba tried and failed miserably at persuading him not to. Aladdin didn't really mind though as he prepared to give the man a shock. Therefore, he reached for another melon and munched on it. As expected, the man freaked out. Hiding a cocky smile, Aladdin decided that he was not satisfied with just making him go all pent up with anger so he attempted to mess with him a little more.

While the man was still ranting on and on about how he would punish Alibaba, Aladdin used this chance to grope the man even though he instantly regretted it afterwards as the man reeked of wine and greed.

"Why does this man have boobs?" Aladdin made sure that he sounded as innocent as he could in order to create a prefect façade for a weak, naïve and harmless kid. He was then swiftly grabbed by the head and flipped over, away from the oily man; an act that he was pretty grateful for.

He watched as the young man begged for forgiveness, apologising profusely. Aladdin scoffed under his breath. Why apologising to this filthy human? He just felt a deep urge to tear him apart right here and now. He respected Alibaba for his ability to bear the harsh kicks and steps sent on him while the man was babbling about the money, how Alibaba had to work without pay and the list went on. Aladdin let a soft smile through his face when he sensed anger that was boiling in the young man. This was going to be interesting.

Night fell quickly. Alibaba collapsed onto his bed, mumbling curses and threats. Then, he heard the sound of munching. It couldn't be. He reached inside a basket and bingo; a familiar blue haired kid was biting away an apple.

Aladdin covered one of his ears while tidying his turban whereas the blonde haired male complained hysterically. Yup, Aladdin was enjoying the reaction for a bit too much.

"I'm in a serious trouble if I can't conquer a dungeon." With that, he finally concluded his endless complaints which involved yelling and panicking.

"Dungeon?" Aladdin immediately perked up at the mention of his goal.

"Yeah, if one successfully conquers a dungeon, one will gain a mountain of wealth and power. Dungeons hold gold, treasure and mysterious magical items."

"Magic?" Alibaba nodded. Tiredness finally kicking into his body and he yawned.

"Rumours say that there are still real magicians out there but dungeons only have magical items though…like flying carpet…endlessly refilling jars of alcohol…and the best of all…are the magical djinn vessels." Then, Alibaba was knocked out by sleepiness. Aladdin flashed a full smile. Staring at the moon, he whispered, "Found you."

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"Why on Earth are you still sleeping?" Aladdin grunted as his head connected with the concrete wall. Now, that was not the best way to wake up. Alibaba calmly locked the door while Aladdin pushed himself off the ground.

"It's mean to hit people out of blue like that," Aladdin whined, following the retreating figure like a puppy.

"Don't follow me," Alibaba stated emotionlessly though he didn't make any effort to stop the child from tailing him.

"Hey, mister, do you want to conquer the dungeon together?" Aladdin invited. Alibaba paused and spared a glance at the dungeon. Aladdin followed his gaze and let out a gasp. The tower-like structure was even more magnificent than when he looked from the sky.

"I'm going to clear Amon and all the other dungeons in the world faster than anyone else," Alibaba mumbled. "And then I'll become the richest man in the world."

Aladdin said nothing but stared at the young blonde haired man. Alibaba's eyes were clouded with longing as he continued to stare at the dungeon before making his way to the town.

"That's why I don't have time to deal with brat. Dungeon is full of traps and dangers. It's not some playground for kids so you better stay out of this," Alibaba declared. He halted his steps once more when he felt a light tug on his sleeve.

"Does that mean that I'm incapable of conquering a dungeon?" Aladdin's voice was cold; a contrast to his warm, childish and cheerful one. Alibaba resisted the urge to shudder as a wave of coldness attacked him. He turned slowly to meet with the boy's blue eyes but was frozen on the spot when he found himself staring into a pair of amber eyes. Noticing the shocked look on the elder's face, Aladdin blinked, remembering something and his eyes slowly returned to their normal hue. He released Alibaba's sleeve and smiled as if nothing had happened.

"So, mister, do you like money?" Aladdin asked, trying to alleviate the tension. They had arrived at the town by now and the silence they shared was getting unbearable.

"Huh? Yeah, I need money. Enough to buy a country at that," he said smiling but in his eyes, sadness and a tint of regret flickered. Those emotions were soon replaced by a sudden cheerfulness.

"If you've money, you can buy anything you want; as much delicious food as you can eat and beautiful women too!" Alibaba was getting all fired up now and Aladdin couldn't help but sweatdropped. Really, he didn't think of Alibaba as a playboy type, well he would just have to play along, right?

In his dramatic antics, Aladdin accidentally bumped into someone. He hurriedly apologised to the bright haired lady he knocked into. She skilfully juggled the fallen lemons and gathered them back into the basket on her head. She stood up with a pouting face. Alibaba came, offering help to the young lady but was swiftly declined as she walked away.

The sound of chains attracted Aladdin's attention and he glanced downwards at the girl's legs and found shackles that were attached firmly by her ankles.

"What's wrong?" Alibaba asked, noticing the younger companion's stare.

"Those," Aladdin replied and pointed at the shackles. Alibaba's eyes widened at the sight of the item. The lady seemed to notice too as she tried to hide the shackles away from their views, causing the lemons to fall.

"She's a slave,"Alibaba said. Pity arose in him for the girl in front of him.

"Slave?" Aladdin asked. His gaze never left the red-haired lady.

"People who are bought and sold. They're treated and used like livestock for their whole lives." Alibaba explained. Aladdin frowned slightly. "What a messed up world we live in, right?" Alibaba craned his neck towards Aladdin but was met with thin air.

"Eh?"

Alibaba heard the sound of a flute and to his horror, the breaking of chains followed. To say that Alibaba was shocked was an understatement. He continued to gape as Aladdin announced, "there you go! Now you can walk freely without having to hide your pretty legs!"

Gasps could be heard among the crowd that was gathering. He was getting a really bad omen. He grabbed Aladdin by his shoulders, saying that this was bad but was silenced when Aladdin asked him why it was bad.

"It's a serious crime to be stealing slaves." In Alibaba's place, another voice sounded and answered Aladdin's question. Aladdin frowned, recognising the voice immediately. There he was, ambling proudly with a lemon in his hand. He pressed it against Alibaba's cheek, demanding his recompense. Alibaba explained with a smile plastered on his face but Aladdin knew that it was all faked as Alibaba's grip on his shoulder tightened subconsciously.

Budel, the pig seemed to be satisfied with the answer but still threatened to make Alibaba a slave if he failed to pay him back. Aladdin watched in silence at the exchange. His anger was pent up when the chubby man demonstrated the life of a slave with an ugly grin on his face.

Humans discriminated among themselves with ranks and status to differentiate them even though they were all the same. They became selfish and stubborn, holding onto the fake and temporary status. Those things had blinded their ability to think rationally. They misused their power and status to abuse others, to treat them less than how a human being should be.

"Stop that," Aladdin warned. His patience was running dangerously thin. If glare could kill, the fat man in front of him would have gone to meet his marker for at least a hundred times by now.

"What'd you say, brat? Want me to call the guards?" Budel was angered by the insolent brat. Aladdin sighed, thinking of ways to shut the man up.

"No! Anything but that!" Alibaba was pleading rather pathetically but Aladdin couldn't care less. Instead, he really wished the greedy man to do so; after all, the more the merrier and besides he could quench his boredom. It was like hitting two birds with one stone.

Despite Alibaba's pleads, a few muscular men came, one holding Alibaba in place whereas another one pointed his knife straight at Aladdin's face. Aladdin looked with uninterested eyes at the offending weapon before diverting his attention back towards a certain man. He was yelling non-stop and Aladdin was feeling quite stressed to listen to his babbling. Well, the best way to get rid of the noise was to destroy the source, right?

Aladdin breathed in deeply before blowing into the flute, sending his magoi directly into it. Rukh came, greeting and sending help to the young boy and the next moment occurred in a flash. Budel and his men were sent flying by an unknown force. Pathetic as he was, Budel fainted on the spot.

'Well, that's fast,' Aladdin thought and pouted, muttering thanks to the Rukh as they twirled around some more before dispersing. Aladdin had to admit that Alibaba's face was so priceless now that a giggle managed to escape from his mouth. He closed their distance until he was directly in front of him and he pulled the red chord around the elder's neck so that he could speak to him face-to-face.

"Still think that I can't join you in your little quest?" Aladdin inquired darkly. Alibaba gulped. Before a sound could breach his lips, Aladdin turned to the right and muttered, "More are coming."

"Hey, what's going on here?" Aladdin could hear the scuffling noise from among the crowd while Alibaba cursed under his breath.

"We're getting out of here," Alibaba concluded and grabbed Aladdin's arm to pull the reluctant child away. The girl seeing the arrival of the guards stood and fled as well, leaving the collapsed men on the ground.

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'Well, well, that chibi sure knows how to make a scene…'

Judal was strolling down the market while biting an apple that he had bought from the merchant a while ago when he heard the commotion. He nearly fell; face first when he spotted the familiar blue-haired boy. He watched with amusement at the back of his younger brother and an unknown blonde haired young man as they disappeared into the crowd.

'Is that?' Judal thought of the possibility that the teen might be his younger brother's chosen candidate.

"Well, let's see if you're really worthy of clearing a dungeon then."

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Alibaba peered cautiously from their hideout via an opening as the guards went here and there, obviously searching for them. He sighed heavily and closed the opening before anyone could catch sight of them. He stared at the child that had miraculously defeated several full grown men. He was sure that he would never look at him the same way he did back then.

"Um…about that flute," Alibaba started, a bit nervous and cautious. He flinched as the young boy glared at him, holding the flute protectively. Maybe talking about the flute was not the best topic to start a conversation.

"I mean…um…some strange power just came out, right?" Alibaba asked with a nervous laugh.

"Strange? Are you talking about magoi?" Aladdin inquired. His gaze softened a tad and Alibaba let out a sigh of relief.

"Yeah, magoi? That means that you're actually a magician?" Alibaba asked, appalled once again by the young child. Aladdin shrugged and nodded. It was not that big deal, was it?

'Trying to clear a dungeon is extremely risky and dangerous. Not a single person has come back alive after entering Amon. But as long as I have him by my side…' Alibaba thought. A smile gracing his feature while Aladdin stared with his eyes narrowed.

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Qishan was not a large town. It was ruled by a certain Sharif. The said Sharif was now working calmly in his office when a stone came, flying in and landed on his table. He looked up from the paper and set down the pen. Curious as to who dared to interrupt his work, he stood and walked towards the window.

"So, you must be Jamil, the Sharif, right?" The Sharif jerked and looked upwards. A person was standing in mid-air with an amused smirk. Jamil stared and stared, unable to neither move nor speak.

It was until later that he regained his composure and replied, "Yes, in fact I'm. Do I know you?"

If possible, Judal's smirk widened even more before turning into a mischievous grin. 'This is going to be fun.'

"No, you may not know me but I certainly know you since I'm an acquaintance of your master," Judal answered nonchalantly. He watched as a mixture of emotions tackled the man before him. First were shock, then confusion and finally joy.

"Where's master now?" The man asked eagerly.

"Now, now, he's not here now as I'm sure you can see but I've something interesting to tell you." Judal said with an all-knowing smirk. Seeing the man calming down and prepared to listen to what he had to say, he began his explanation of the incident a while ago. Earning a few nods from the man, he continued, "Now that you've known the whole story, I need you to do something for me."

The man was baffled but still he obliged.

"This is all you have to do…"

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"I'm so sorry, my lord. There was an idiot trying to free a slave." Budel came, rushing into the Sharif's office and reported the news with a slightly trembling voice. Jamil stared at the fat figure and nodded.

"I heard something strange also happened," Jamil claimed.

"How do you know that, my lord?"

"Someone told me," Jamil replied, glancing at the sky.

"It was nothing worth reporting to one such as you, Lord Jamil," Budel said, keeping his head low.

"You're leaving with a cavaran tomorrow, aren't you?" Jamil inquired, tracing his finger along the window.

"Yes, that's true."

"Perfect! I've a job for you then," Jamil declared with a smile.

Outside the office, Judal was standing in the air right beside the window as he listened to the conversation. He scoffed before silently vanished into thin air.

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Aladdin didn't know how he ended up in a hostel. Did Alibaba really think that he had to do this in order to get him to enter the dungeon together? Well, for the sake of winning the bet, he would have to play along.

'Is this how having a friend felt like?' Aladdin couldn't help but asked himself when he had started to relax as well. He had read in so many book about friendship; a strange but strong relationship among fellow human beings. He never really had any friend so he wished to know what it was like to have one. Maybe he could…

"I decided to never make friends." Alibaba's words that Aladdin had overheard left him stunned for a moment. A bitter smile crept its way onto the younger's face. 'That's right. It's impossible.'

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The duo; Alibaba and Aladdin had just stepped out of the hostel when a voice they had learnt to despise came roaring, "Worthless brat, make me search for you! If you have money to spend on pleasure how about you pay me my recompense?"

Alibaba tidied himself before announcing, "I don't have any right now."

"What?" The man was easily angered…again. Apparently, he had failed to learn his lesson from last time. Aladdin slowly reached for his flute. Alibaba noticed this and definitely wanted to avoid another commotion.

"But, I decided to clear the dungeon. Once I clear it, I'll pay you right back!" Aladdin was a bit taken aback by Alibaba's sudden declaration and turned to stare into the elder's eyes. In his eyes, there showed no hesitation, only flaring determination. Aladdin took his time to admire the blonde's sudden courage while Budel and his men did the exact opposite. They snickered and laughed at the blonde's decision.

"Just you try to run. I'll put your name on wanted list of every city in this area. Now, make your choice; do you want to be arrested now or do you want to work as my slave for the rest of your life?" The chubby man asked. Alibaba met Aladdin's eyes for a few seconds before saying, "What do you take me for? What do you think my answer is?"

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"And what's our cargo, master?"

Aladdin had absolutely no idea that Alibaba would choose this. Sure this was better than getting arrested but did Alibaba just had to let his pride down like that? Though in the hindsight, their chances of getting to the labyrinth was higher than that when they were thrown into jail, still Aladdin couldn't accept the fact that Alibaba had to bow and serve that fat and worthless pig. Maybe, he should just went and found himself a new candidate. No, the time left was roughly two days and he couldn't risk losing to Judal. Well, he would just have to bear with it now.

It seemed that they would have to deliver some finest grape wine to the neighbouring country as a gift from who was it again? Ah, Jamil. Not that Aladdin cared. Alibaba soon sat down besides Aladdin on the driver's seat as they prepared to depart.

"Ah, the girl with the chains." Aladdin announced, noticing a huge cage with lots of people in it. It was until later that they discovered that those people were slaves for the mines.

'Slaves again, huh?' Aladdin mused as they departed.

"A person should not try to reach higher than his given lot in life. A rat is a rat and a slave is a slave. Born as worthless trash, always a worthless trash. Wouldn't you agree?" Budel was munching on an apple greedily, explaining the lives of those lower beings as if he himself was so much wiser. It was irritating to see such annoying sight. Aladdin could have personally chopped the man and his pride, let his blood paint the desert and let the desert hyenas have a great feast but Alibaba still swallowed down his pride and agreed with the man.

Aladdin narrowed his eyes at the hand gripping the handle and the whip that tightened. He was lying and Aladdin knew it well. 'Another one who are not honest to himself again.'

"You're lying, mister," Aladdin pointed out. "Don't you think that if you keep lying, eventually no one, not even yourself, will be able to believe your own words?"

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It was evening now. The cavaran was still crossing the never-ending desert. Alibaba was keeping a straight face, looking at the distance with a faraway look on his face. The greedy pig was drinking some leftover wine in his glass and looked as if he was expecting something yet at the same time not.

Aladdin was wondering if something was going to happen seeing the look on Budel's face. It was until he saw a few black Rukh flying directly above of him that he instantly knew what was going on here. He slapped a hand onto his forehead and muttered under his breath, "That idiot brother."

"Huh?" Alibaba sent him a confused look and Aladdin sighed.

"Something's coming," Aladdin said.

Barely had time to digest the younger's words, the ground rumbled as a hole was formed. Screams filled the air as the ground beneath them cracked.

"It's a desert hyacinth!"

"It really showed up!" Budel exclaimed, popping his round face out of the cart.

'I knew it.' Aladdin thought as a sweat dropped from his chin. Alibaba was whipping the poor horses to spur them to go faster away from the tentacles that were reaching for the grape wine. Several tentacles shot up from the ground and the hyacinth showed itself amidst the big gap it created.

The round figure of Budel was bouncing here and there, wanting to unload the cargo and the precious grape wines. Of course, he was shouting all the way, urging people to help him by making sure that they were well paid. Then, a tentacle came smashing the ground and a young child lost his footing along with a barrel of wine.

The red haired girl from earlier hurried and grabbed the child by her arm. When Alibaba was about to hold onto the girl, Budel came with his 'excellent' timing and grabbed the wine instead of the falling girl.

The child's mother and Alibaba stared in shock as the two unlucky falling figures landed with a splash directly into the hyacinth's mouth. The mother dropped to the ground, mourning and begging for help. Watching her child being engulfed by tiny white tentacles prove to be too much for her as she went to the side, wanting to jump down and save her child if not for the strong arms pressing her and pulling her away.

"There's no hope for the girl now. Just hurry and start moving the wine!" Budel shouted but Alibaba continued to stay rooted on the ground, hoping for someone, anyone to save the child.

"That thing will not move when it's feeding. Use that time to save the wine! Hurry!" The man resumed his yelling.

'Someone, please save them!' Alibaba was getting desperate now. His mind went white at the image of the drowning pair.

"Please let me go. Mina! Mina!' The women bellowed, struggling against the strong holds.

"Don't you dare let her go! If you die, who do you think have to pay for you?" Budel was still shouting orders at the back.

'They'll die!' Alibaba was screaming in his mind now. Just then, memories of the past overflowed his mind. He could feel the pain, regret and sorrow he felt as if he had relived the day again.

"What're you sitting around for? Hurry up and move the wine!" Alibaba could felt a heavy hand land on his shoulder. Aladdin merely stared at his back much like how he did last time. The Rukh around Alibaba was confused and hesitant.

"Stop your crying! I'll pay for the kid! Just say how much you want!" Budel said to the crying woman. Snap! Aladdin saw the Rukh around Alibaba calm down and their confusion was replaced with anger and determination. Alibaba clutched his fist until his knuckles turned white.

A punch was delivered straight across Budel's face and he went rolling and crashing into the barrels of wine.

"You bastard! You think you can buy someone's life with your stinking grape wine?" Alibaba yelled. He was feeling a lot better now with his mind clearer and his resolve firm. Aladdin was surprised by the outburst. He went to the side as Alibaba descended down with a wine in his hands.

'It seems like he has had enough with just standing on the side-line. Well, I'll have to do my part as well, right?' Aladdin decided mentally.

Alibaba was knocking at the hyacinth, trying to make it open his mouth when a sudden wind came. Alibaba sent a quick look behind. There was Aladdin standing with his eyes closed. His hands were up in the air as if directing something. Then, more waves of power and pressure came, crashing down. Miraculously, the firmly closed mouth of the hyacinth was forcefully pried open.

'Is this his magic?' Alibaba thought.

"Now is your chance, mister!" A yell from the younger brought him out of his musing and he threw the wine with full force into the numerous tentacles of the hyacinth. They weakened enough to allow Alibaba to help the two out. However, luck was not on his side as the wine was not enough to drunk the hyacinth and he took the place of the pair.

"Damn," Aladdin cursed under his breath. The Rukh that were holding the petals of the hyacinth would not last forever. Well, he would have to go for plan B. He spared a glance at the wine and smirked.

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'Is this the end of me? Am I going to die like this but at least I've no more regrets' was Alibaba's thought when he felt the tentacles that were starting to coil around him. It was a rare chance but Alibaba had to admit that he was always lying; always powerless…unable to save what he really wanted to save so of course he wanted both money and power but he knew that what he really wanted was not those but…

Alibaba gasped in shock when he saw a figure in the air on a flying cloth.

"I knew that you were lying, mister. See you can actually tell the truth! I think I still have a lot of things to learn so be sure to teach me more about the things that even money and wine can't buy!" Aladdin uttered excitedly. He had finally found a perfect candidate to join him in his quest. It took him two days' time but it was worth it.

"Stop! Even if that brat worked for a thousand years, there's no way he'd be able to pay off the cost of that wine!" Budel shrieked. Aladdin just scoffed and threw a silent command to the turban. Down we go! The wines were now all gone into the mouth of the hyacinth. The plant withered as the wines sank in.

Alibaba could just stare at the very powerful and amazing figure above in the air with amazement and shock.

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Not far from the scene, Jamil was sitting on a camel with a small telescope in his hand. He watched with amusement as the events unfolded before him.

"So, what he said was true after all…" He said to no one in particular and returned to the town with his slave following close by, not before giving an one last glance at the young boy standing on the flying cloth along with another blonde haired guy that he couldn't care less for.

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"Aladdin," Alibaba called. They were both on the flying turban now.

"Hey, mister, I've a favour to ask you…" Aladdin trailed off. Alibaba held his palm up to stop Aladdin, making Aladdin slightly disappointed.

"My name is Alibaba. Don't you get tired with calling me mister all the time?" Alibaba asked with a smile on his face; a true smile and Aladdin beamed with joy.

"Does that mean that we're friends?" Aladdin asked still a bit hesitant.

"Of course!"

And with that Aladdin made his first friend. Many things would come in the way of their friendship but no matter, he would treasure it; the short and temporary friendship that was so fragile that it might break on one touch.

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That's right, Aladdin still have one thing to take care of. He smiled and sent a pair of black and white Rukh away to meet a certain trouble making brother.

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"What does he mean by 'I'm tired of getting my hands dirty with the lives of scumbags so you'll have to do it for me'?" Judal asked the white Rukh that was flapping lazily in front of him.

"Why do I have to do it anyway?" Judal complained which made him receive a painful smack in the forehead as the other black bird-like creature collided with his forehead.

"Hey, what's that for?" He nursed his forehead while reaching to grab the black Rukh. It avoided the hand skilfully and made a few turns above Judal's head.

"What? More message?" Judal watched the movement of the black Rukh and listened closely. His face paling slightly as he read the rest of the message, 'That's the punishment for wasting my time and magoi on the desert plant thing.'

"He noticed?" Judal gulped. The Rukhs flew up and down happily, looking as if they were nodding. Still, Judal decided to play stubborn. "And if I say no what exactly can he do?" He asked, more like convincing himself than talking to the messengers.

A painful yelp elicited from Judal when the Rukhs crashed into his forehead again. They repeatedly did so until Judal surrendered with an irritated sigh.

"Fine, fine, I'll do it, satisfied?" Judal declared. The flying creatures stopped their attacks and followed closely behind the retreating figure of the dark haired teen.

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"Ah, this is bad! How can I explain to Lord Jamil about this?" Budel was shrieking hysterically. His men were silent the whole time, watching the fatty yell and curse. "I don't have the face to return to Lord Jamil's side!"

Judal had arrived to the desert where his targets were currently at. He could see the fat pig that came rushing into the Sharif's office a day before and snickered. This was going to be easy.

"I'll help you then." Budel heard a voice echoing from the dark sky and he turned hopefully to his would be saviour, only to take a few steps back. The newcomer was emitting a dangerous aura and it reminded him of a certain kid he met. The killing intentions were so similar that he had trouble convincing himself that the person in front of him was in fact not the same person as the child from a few moments ago.

"How can you help me then?" Budel threw the question out of his quivering lips. The man laughed and gestured at him, "This."

Budel cringed when a powerful wind whooshed past him. Horror filled his entire being at the sound of tearing flesh. He glanced at his men and had to fight the urge to throw up. Their heads were neatly detached from their bodies and blood were splattered everywhere. The remaining survivors were screaming and scrambling away, leaving the fat man to his demise. However, they too were not able to escape the fate of dying. Budel was cowering now. He even knelt before Judal and begged for his pitiful life.

"What's the matter? Call for your money to save you then," Judal teased.

"Please, I'll give you anything. Just name it, money, women, status; I'll give it all to you. Just spare me!"

To tell the truth, Judal was actually quite excited to carry out this 'special assignment' from Aladdin as he also despised the greedy, self-centred man. Judal sighed as he listened to the response from the man.

"You're boring, greedy and a coward," He commented sluggishly. And so off his head. The Rukhs seemed to be satisfied and disappeared into the night sky, probably to report to the young magi.

'Better retreat for the night now.' Judal concluded, stretching his back. Sleep was important, for today had been a long day and tomorrow won't be any shorter so better sleep and of course clean himself. After all, the fun had just begun.


	4. Chapter 4 : Dungeon

**A/N: Once again, hi! Special thanks to those who had reviewed. About this chapter…actually I've a hard time writing this. Anyway, have a nice day and do enjoy this chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own ****Magi Labyrinth of Magic.**

**Warning: OCC-ness**

**Chapter 4 : Dungeon**

_Adventure without risk is Disneyland._ ~**Doug Coupland**

It was already night time when Aladdin and Alibaba finally reached the portal of the dungeon. All the way to the dungeon, Alibaba kept on glancing back at the desert for fear that Budel and his men would come. But no worry, Aladdin was sure that they were all well taken care of as soon as a pair of Rukhs came, perching themselves on either sides of his shoulders.

'So, this is Amon's entrance, huh?' Aladdin examined the portal at the foot of the tower-like dungeon.

"At the slightest touch, you will be sucked in. Most of those who have entered have never returned. It's like the gateway to death itself. Aladdin, if you want to turn back now, this is your last chance," Alibaba said, his fingers ghosting over the portal. Aladdin frowned slightly. He was feeling sort of strange and hungry too. However, he couldn't just back out now. He still had a bet to win. His vision blurred and he was feeling a little bit light-headed.

Finding no strength to lift his limbs, he stumbled forward, successfully pushing Alibaba into the portal. The portal shone as they dissolved into its blinding light. Alibaba screamed, feeling his body falling down a tunnel-like vortex. At the end of the tunnel, Alibaba gasped at the amazing view of a mysterious place. However, the magnificent view disappeared as soon as another blinding light engulfed them.

"Where am I? I can't see anything. I can't even breathe. Wait… I'm drowning!" Realization sank into Alibaba. His lungs were burning from the lack of oxygen. He gasped and inhaled the air greedily when he finally escaped the clutch of being drowned. He coughed to get the water out of his lungs, scanning through the dark space.

"Where am I?" Alibaba wondered out loud. He jerked away when he saw the skeletons beneath the water surface. That was when he felt something oily in the water. He scooped out the dark liquid and smelled it.

"This is…" Alibaba's eyes widened.

"Aladdin!" As soon as he caught sight of the child lying amidst the water, he broke into a sprint as fire began to light up.

"Aladdin!" He called out again. Luckily for him, Aladdin regained consciousness. Alibaba swiftly picked up the child and ran as fast as his legs could carry him. Flame was bursting from behind furiously and quickly as well.

"What?" Aladdin peeked from Alibaba's arms at the flame. The flame was bright and something clicked in his mind. Broken pieces of memories from long ago flowed back into his mind. He could see towering inferno and later a total darkness. Piercing screams and yells for help was all he could hear when several images of bloody bodies flashed through his mind.

'What's happening?' He clutched his head. He couldn't make out what those images meant. It was confusing but one thing was for sure, the immense fear and horror he felt in the deep of his heart. He couldn't recall the rest of memories. Something was blocking away the memories. A tear slid down silently but he hurriedly wiped it away to prevent it from being seen by Alibaba.

They rolled as Alibaba jumped and landed on the ground. The fire was madly burning behind them.

"It's burning water. It burns better than the oil we use in lamps. If you're not quick enough to get away, you're done for." Alibaba explained.

"You're good, Alibaba," Aladdin praised, staring at the burning flame. "So, this is a dungeon, right?"

"Y-yeah, this is a dungeon," Alibaba said. His heart not yet calmed down its rapid beatings.

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"Sharif, please don't enter the dungeon by yourself! I beg of you, Sharif!" A rather old man advised the said Sharif as he made his way up the stairway.

"I've been waiting for him for a long time, you know," Sharif Jamil uttered without sparing a glance to his supporters gathering below with torches in their hands. "At last, it's time for me to aim for the top."

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"Ah!" Currently, the duo was being chased by a giant boulder that threatened to flatten them. Typical dungeon's trap…

Getting tired of running, Aladdin gave a sharp turn and faced the rolling boulder.

"Gather Rukh!" The small bird-like creature hurried to the young child's aid. As soon as they gathered, Aladdin dispatched them towards the huge stone. With a crack, the stone fell apart but the force was great enough to push the pair right down into a hole.

'If this goes on, we're going to crash!' Aladdin thought and mentally called forth the Rukh.

'What're these?' Alibaba wondered as their falls were cushioned by some sort of bird-like creatures that he had seen gathering by the younger's side before. He took his time catching a breath and was about to ask Aladdin about the mysterious creatures when he took notice of the younger's pale face.

"You look really pale," Alibaba commented. He could see sweats lingering down Aladdin's face.

"I'm fine, just a bit hungry," Aladdin assured the elder companion. After all, he would not want Alibaba to worry about such trivial thing but focused on surviving and clearing the dungeon though he almost regretted taking on this bet. Keyword: almost. He still wanted to win so he would have to make sure that he does.

"I'll have to use a part of my magoi to summon and direct the Rukh plus I rarely exercise this much so…I'm starving," Aladdin said. His stomach was rumbling at his last statement. Alibaba couldn't help but worried about the situation as they ventured right in with nothing but clothes on their back.

"Don't worry! We'll find something to eat somewhere!" Alibaba declared and set his hand onto where he assumed Aladdin's head should be, only to meet with a green ant?

"A-Aladdin?" Alibaba half screamed, jerking away from the strange creature.

"Alibaba…a little help here."

Alibaba turned to the source of the voice and to his horror, his younger companion had his head unfortunately in the mouth of another similar looking ant. He yelled and yanked Aladdin out of the mouth of the insect. It let out an unsatisfied shriek and more of them broke out of the shining oval shaped eggs.

Aladdin was panting hard, trying to get rid of the sticky purple saliva. 'This is bad. I've used up a lot more magoi than I intended to.'

Alibaba unsheathed his knife and steadied his stance. The green 'ant' threw its sharp limbs towards Alibaba and he did not waste any time to slash it. He expected it to be more like cutting through a flesh so he was quite surprised when the knife went through the creature easily.

Encouraged by this fact, he moved on and slashed multiple times at the 'ant' when the others joined in the fight. He danced through the 'ants' and sliced them. Green liquid spluttered as the knife went through their bodies. After finished off a few more 'ants', he watched in confusion when the 'ants' melted suddenly. His confusion was immediately replaced with shock as the liquid merged to form a giant hideous creature. Its limbs shaped like knifes and it gave a huge roar, swinging around its limbs to cut down the intruders.

Alibaba dodged them with grace. Annoyed further, the creature sucked in a huge amount of air. Realizing what it was about to do, Alibaba picked up the tired child again and jumped to take shelter at a nearby dent, just in time when the creature breathed fire.

'Crap!' Alibaba mentally cursed as the creature noticed them.

"I've no choice now then," Aladdin muttered and picked up his flute. Contributing his magoi, he called forth the Rukh. They gathered and shot towards the creature before exploding. However, it recovered quickly and slashed towards the duo. They jumped away from the attack while the creature growled furiously.

"I really don't want to use this now but my option seemed to be limited," Aladdin said, wiping away sweats that were dipping now.

"Halharl Infigar!" Aladdin called out and a blast of flame was fired directly into the slimy creature. The black and white Rukhs immediately lent their powers to the young child.

"Huh? Are these birds?" Alibaba asked out loud when the Rukh flowed towards Aladdin. He had a very warm feeling when the white one passed him whereas he had to supress a cold shiver that ran down his spine when a black one came, rushing through. What exactly were those?

He continued to stare in amazement as the flame consumed the slime. A shriek sounded and soon there was nothing left of the creature.

"You did it! It's amazing!" Alibaba exclaimed. When he got nothing in response, he turned, only to see the young child collapsing. Luckily, he caught the child just before he hit the ground.

"Aladdin!" He shouted. The child frowned slightly and slowly creaked open his eyes.

"Alibaba?" He called, a bit unsure.

"Are you okay?" Alibaba asked but he soon had the urge to hit himself. Of course he was no fine. Who on Earth would collapse and still be fine anyway.

"I'm just a bit tired," Aladdin sighed out and his eyes turning duller before they closed completely. If not for the beads of sweat on his face, he would appear to be sleeping peacefully. Alibaba hugged the child closer as he struggled to stand up. Aladdin needed a place to rest.

"It's going to be fine, Aladdin. I'll make sure of it somehow," Alibaba said even when he knew that the child might not be able to hear him. Alibaba paused when he heard a soft whimper from the child. Just to make sure, he wiped away the sweats from the younger's forehead.

"Brother," Aladdin whispered and Alibaba's hands halted in their movements. Did he just call brother?

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Alibaba had finally lied the young child down in a cave. Blanketing the frail body, he watched at Aladdin's face, thinking of how weak he himself had been, always had to depend on others, always had to be saved. His eyes roved over the golden flute that he had set down carefully by the child's side, seeing how precious it had been to Aladdin. Alibaba had absolutely no idea that that little thing exhausted Aladdin that much.

Cautiously, he picked the item up and examined it. He even tried blowing into it but nothing happened. He put the flute back down. His mind was wandering back to when Aladdin called for his brother. Came to think of it, he didn't know anything about Aladdin. Did he have a family out there? Why did he travel? That was kind of expected, for Alibaba also hadn't told him anything about himself as well, yet the child saved him despite not knowing who he was. He saved him.

The longer he brooded on the matter, the guiltier he felt. Alas, he made up his mind, he was going to tell Aladdin the reason he wanted to clear a dungeon so badly and then he would listen to Aladdin's stories too about the brother he had subconsciously called in his sleep.

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Alibaba's eyes snapped open when he heard footsteps echoing throughout the passage. He scrambled up and peeked through an opening. He thought his heart was going to jump out when he perceived the Sharif along with a scary looking guy with a knife.

'Why is the Sharif here?' He pondered. Making his way back towards Aladdin, he was startled by the sound of chains. His head jerked upwards and he was immediately met with a pair of chained legs. He was so taken aback that he fell to the ground, creeping awkwardly away from whoever standing there.

"Huh?" He sounded, recognising the female. "Why are you here?"

Alibaba was shocked further when the Sharif appeared behind the girl. He landed a few feet away from Alibaba and Alibaba prepared to draw his knife when they went right past him without a word. He watched, totally perplexed as the trio approached the sleeping figure.

"I have been waiting for you, o Magi," Jamil calmly uttered, kneeling in front of the child. "For a whole decade, I have waited for your arrival."

'Magi? What's that?' Alibaba pondered.

"Let's get going," Jamil declared. The big guy picked Aladdin up and carried him over the shoulder while Jamil held onto the flute.

"Wait!" Alibaba exclaimed but was ignored as they went past him again.

"Stop!" He blocked their ways. "What do you think you're doing?"

The Sharif sighed and pointed at Alibaba. "I could say the same thing for you. You're no longer useful for me. Go home."

Angered, Alibaba held the Sharif by his shoulders, telling him to stop. His hand was shoved away by the man as another sigh elicited from his lips.

"Take care of him, Goltas," the man ordered. Alibaba turned sharply to the back when he heard the sound of chains. He gasped, looking at the masked big guy with a knife in his hand. The knife was brought down swiftly but Alibaba was quicker. He dodged the blade and stepped to the attacker's back. He pressed his knife against the man's throat and glared at the Sharif.

"What do you think you're doing?" Alibaba demanded. The Sharif seemed to be appalled.

"You're pretty nimble, aren't you now?" Jamil praised while clapping his hands. "I was wrong about you."

The next moment, a blade went through the big guy.

"Compared to him, you're the one who's of no use. Work is the duty of men. To think that a lowly slave would work less than a free man…" With those harsh words, Jamil repeatedly stabbed the man as punishments and Alibaba couldn't help but shuddered, thinking that the Sharif was crazy.

"Hey, you!" Jamil called out, pointing the bloody blade at Alibaba's face. Alibaba fell to the ground, startled and stared at the Sharif as he continued, "I brought an army of soldiers and slaves but they just keep dying in traps."

Baffled at how calmly Jamil uttered those words, Alibaba asked, "Aren't you the Sharif?"

"Yes, I'm. I'm just the man who has been entrusted with some land, but it's enough to make you drunk in power," Jamil said and landed a kick at Goltas' shin, bringing the man down before giving a few more kicks at the poor man. "Just think about it. Why should I put up with these useless monkeys for bodyguards, with some filthy speck of land and rotten food? I'll conquer the dungeon and get my own country! I'll kill everyone who gets in my way!"

"So? What about you?" Yup, this guy was definitely nuts.

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They were now at the front of the gate where flames were bursting here and there. Noticing the writings by the gate, Alibaba recognised it as the tongue of Tran, a language of old legends and maze. That earned him a penny from the arrogant man. Jamil insisted on translating even when he got most of them wrong. Another fact noted, this guy was a total idiot but maybe he could use this chance to…

"Dance with the whirlwinds, cross the jaws of the dragon, and you shall find the truth. All lies at the dragon's tail." Alibaba corrected the translation. However, that gave him a sharp jab on his arm. It seemed like the man just couldn't let his pride down, huh?

He inhaled deeply and passed through the passage, dodging pillars of flame. As soon as he reached the end, he pulled the switch within the stone dragon's jaw. The flame extinguished, letting the trio to pass through. Alibaba smirked before he was engulfed in flame. By the time the flame was gone, Alibaba was nowhere to be seen.

"What a shame," Jamil mocked as the girl wiped away a speck of dust on her face. That was when the Sharif heard noise from the once unconscious child. Aladdin raised his head from the rather uncomfortable position. Rubbing his eyes tiredly, he spotted the lady from before along with another young man.

"Where's Alibaba?" was Aladdin's first question when he found that the blonde haired man was absent.

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"So, you saved me?" Aladdin asked when they found a place to rest.

"Yes, I also saved your friend. He took your flute and went on ahead," Jamil explained with a smile on his face. Aladdin did not really trust the man before him because he knew for sure that Alibaba was not a fool to take away his flute if he still treasured his life. However, the flute was not with him now as he could see and he had a general idea of who might have taken the flute and glanced at the girl from before. She was avoiding direct eye contact and that concluded it. The man was lying. Now, better think of some ways to end this person.

Jamil noticed the stares and introduced the pair behind him as his slaves. The big guy was Goltas from the nomadic tribes of the north whereas the girl was Morgiana who was a descendant of the hunters from the Dark Lands. Aladdin resisted the urge to frown when the Sharif said that they were both quite expensive, treating them as items on sale.

"All right then. I'll see what's waiting for us up ahead. Wait here with the girl," Jamil announced. As he passed Morgiana, he whispered an order to watch the child which she received with a small nod.

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"Nice to meet you again." The Sharif was gone for a while now so Aladdin decided to start a conversation with Morgiana. However, his effort was futile as the girl did not show any response. Aladdin even tried several attempts to make the girl smile by making faces with his incredibly flexible face but the girl had showed no interest to even turn to look at him.

'Well, it seems that I'll have to use my trump card now,' Aladdin thought. He hoped that he would manage to crack a smile on the girl's face using his last resort. Not that he did not have confidence in his skill; after all even Kougyoku commented on how funny he was it was just that he was getting bored.

It was a good thing that Morgiana looked back at the last moment when he was performing the act. She did well to resist the urge to laugh though she couldn't stop the chuckles that were escaping from her mouth. She seemed shocked and covered her mouth instantly. Aladdin was overjoyed and he jumped while cheering at his successful attempt.

"Finally! You laughed!" Aladdin said in his childish voice. He liked challenge and the feeling after you have overcome one was great.

"I didn't," Morgiana denied the obvious fact.

"You should smile often. You look really pretty when you smile!" Aladdin commented. The girl simply turned away from him, keeping a poker face as if she had not really smile back then. Aladdin persistently made his way to face Morgiana again.

"But, your face has odd feature. It's because you're from the country called the 'Dark Lands'?" Aladdin questioned, trotting back to his seat.

"It's not dark." The girl finally began. Her voice was layered with thin sorrow. "The 'Dark Lands' is what the Rehm Empire called the south region of the border because they consider the whole area undeveloped. It's my homeland, Carthago."

"Is it undeveloped?" Aladdin had read once in one of the books. He was positively sure that Carthago was not really as undeveloped as he thought. Well, just to make sure.

"It's not undeveloped. There are countries and villages, and the Sun is beautiful. The land is spacious and there are many huge animals. There are many delicious fruits, too." She explained. Her voice sounded monotone. Aladdin could tell that she barely had any memories of the land by her tone.

"That sounds nice like a fun place. It's just like…" When Aladdin was about to say the place sounded like his homeland, he felt a splitting headache. Slumping over, his mind was floated once again by images of burning flame. It was everywhere; the fire, the people and the screams. As fast as they came, they faded. Aladdin was panting as he tried to calm himself down. Staring down at his trembling hands, he gulped.

Morgiana was sending worried and confused glances at the young child. Aladdin bit his lower lip and claimed that it was nothing important. Luckily for him, she did not venture further and Aladdin was grateful for that.

"I'd love to see your homeland. Can you take me there one day?" Aladdin requested, trying to lessen the tension.

"I can't do that," Morgiana replied.

"Why?"

"What do you mean 'why'? I'm a slave so it's obvious that I can't escape," she answered. Aladdin didn't give up though, saying that she could if he cut the chains again. However, Morgiana seemed to insist on the fact that no matter what she could not ever escape. She even raised her voice once. It was not like Aladdin could complain about that. After all, she seemed to have gone through a lot but to make her said that, the Sharif must have invisible cuffs on her that restricted her every movement. Still, Aladdin was actually quite glad to find out that she was a whole lot more honest compared to Alibaba.

Aladdin paused his musing and concentrated on the main thing in hand now. He couldn't afford to lose the bet now or Judal would definitely make fun of him for quite some times.

"Say, where's Alibaba?" Aladdin asked. His voice turned serious and Morgiana was a bit shocked by the sudden change.

"Your friend is an utter fool. He's insane and beyond comprehension. He didn't understand the situation he's in. He tries to save others even when he can't save himself." As much as Aladdin wanted to listen to more comments on his new found friend, he reminded himself of his main objective and forced himself to stay quiet as well as patient waiting for Morgiana to continue.

"Because of that, he is…your friend is…he's dead," she concluded gravely. Aladdin gasped in disbelief but something told him that the blonde haired young man would not die that easily. Maybe it was because of the determination he seen in his eyes.

Just then, a couple of small stones connected to his head and he glanced upwards, only to meet with Alibaba's face. Aladdin was pretty much dumbfounded at the sudden appearance of the teen. Aladdin stood quietly and took a few steps back towards the wall.

"You should know your place too, or you'll end up dead as well," she warned.

"Or not!" Alibaba exclaimed, making his presence known as he jumped from his hideout, sliding down a vine.

"How?" Morgiana was baffled. That was when a pathetic cry echoed from behind.

"Magi! Magi! Please purge those mons-" The Sharif came, screaming. He stayed rooted to the ground when he saw the supposed-to-be-dead Alibaba.

"Sorry, I lied about the translation," Alibaba apologised, sounding not so apologetically. "Actually it said, 'Dance with the whirlwinds and in the jaw of the dragon, you will find the truth. All is _before_ the tail of the dragon.' Thanks to you, I've found the right path!" Alibaba declared. Aladdin had to admit he was impressed. He never knew that Alibaba was this cunning. Well, better get going now. He set down the magic turban and up they went.

"Sorry, miss! Let's meet again later! Let's go to see the Sun when your invisible chains are cut!" Aladdin left the words for the lady. It was strange how the girl didn't chase after them. Judging from her expression, she must have thought of something blissful.

"Morgiana!" A yell and her blissful expression was gone, replaced by anger. Alibaba nearly had a heart attack when she literally ran up the wall. Aladdin had to urge his magic turban to rise higher and quicker to prevent her from reaching them.

Jamil was definitely not happy with their escape and landed several kicks on Morgiana as well as a few more stabs on Goltas all the while cursing and complaining.

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"This must be the Gate of Truth. The treasure must be behind this," Alibaba said. A fancy door was in front of them with the very same symbol he found on Aladdin's flute.

"That's the spell. Have you tried opening it?" Aladdin asked.

"No. Look at the handprints. Both are right hands. That means you can't open it alone," Alibaba answered.

"Then, it's lucky that we're together, right?"

"Yeah."

With that, they placed their right hand on either sides of the door. As the light shone, they simultaneously called out, "Open Sesame!"

The symbol lighted up and the door was open. A blinding light and wind emitted from the opened door. When the light faded, the inferior of the dungeon was crumbling away like puzzle pieces .What replaced it was a blue sky and a massive city. Only the gate remained untouched. Both Alibaba and Aladdin stared in awe as the change magically took place. They were standing on a rather high place, high enough to see all the buildings below.

Their goal was near and they could feel it.

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"_**I see. I understand the situation now. It seems that we've gotten more to take care of in the future, huh?"**_ In an unknown place, a voice was heard. The owner of the voice then sighed heavily. Suddenly, as if sensing something, he raised his head, an amused smirk playing on his lips.

"_**Well, it seems that the guests have arrived."**_


	5. Chapter 5 : Magician of Creation

**Chapter 5 : Magician of Creation**

_All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them._ ~**Walt Disney**

_We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face... we must do that which we think we cannot._ ~**Eleanor Roosevelt**

"Don't tell me we're outside now?" Alibaba asked.

"Look," Aladdin stated, pointing at the sky where the ceiling lied.

"So that means this is…" Alibaba uttered, looking straight at the young companion. The younger of the two nodded and completed Alibaba's sentence, "We're still in the dungeon."

Just then, flame bursted from what seemed to be the centre of the town like several burning pillars as if inviting the pair to come. That was when Aladdin felt the strange pull again. What exactly was it?

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"What's going on?" Jamil demanded. Their surroundings had suddenly changed and he had trouble getting used to it for he nearly fallen down the edge. Goltas was swinging his knife here and there to prevent the yellow monsters from coming near.

"I don't know," Morgiana replied truthfully.

"Don't give me that 'I don't know'!" Jamil shouted. A few more kicks were delivered to Morgiana as she braced herself against the harsh treatments.

"It's your entire fault! It's all because of you that I was deceived by a commoner like that…Damn it!" He blamed the poor girl, pulling her up by her clothes. Morgiana didn't dare to rebel against the Sharif, especially when he was as angry as he was now.

"It's your entire fault!" Morgiana stole a peek at the side where she assumed the sound came from. Surprisingly, the monsters they encountered seemed to have the ability to imitate others and it was that fact that left Jamil quite shaken.

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"There's not a single soul here," Alibaba commented. The pair was now in the sky on Aladdin's flying turban, reaching for the centre.

"Necropolis," Aladdin stated. "My brother explained to me once, a long time ago though, I think this is what he meant by Necropolis; a vast City of Dead."

"Brother?" Alibaba questioned, seeing it as a chance to know more about the child.

"Yes, my big brother," Aladdin said, looking down at the city below. His voice was tender and his gaze softened.

"I'm curious. What kind of person is he?" Alibaba wondered out loud.

"He's very kind…yet mean at the same time," Aladdin pouted at the last statement as if recalling a piece of memory. Alibaba couldn't help but chuckled at that.

"Despite that, you seem to like him a lot, right?" Alibaba ceased his chuckle and stared straight into Aladdin's blue eyes. Aladdin smiled and nodded vigorously.

"Yes, I love him very much. He's my important family after all; my only blood family left to be precise." Aladdin's eyes turned dull for a second there and his voice was filled with sadness. Hugging his small legs closer to his chest, he fell into a deep contemplation.

"Sorry." Noticing the change in the younger's eyes, Alibaba apologised. Aladdin lifted his head and gave a small smile, saying that it was fine.

"Do you know something, Alibaba? You are actually quite similar to big brother Judal," Aladdin said, resting his head on his knees as he resumed his curling position.

"Huh?"

"You're both lying to yourselves at times. Big brother will always lie, pretending to be fine and goofing around when in truth; he's hurting or confused inside. He's also not quite the expert of showing care so I'm a bit shocked when Kougyoku said that he actually complimented her for being strong. It's like once in a blue moon that he'll tell the truth about how he feels without teasing and all that, much like how you were when we first met. You hid the fact that you're angered by that fatty and pretended to agree with him when he insulted you though you changed a little now."

Alibaba was scratching his chin nervously, listening to the comments from Aladdin. He had no idea that a child like Aladdin would understand him that much when they had just met.

"You too," Alibaba began.

"Huh?" Aladdin gave a tilt of his head in confusion.

"You're also not so honest to yourself. You smile when you don't really want to and you played along as if acting at some points. You may not notice it but it's all clearly shown in your eyes." Alibaba said, finding the courage in himself to voice his thoughts as well. Aladdin was impressed yet again by the young blonde. No one but his brother had known him this well to see through his well-set mask.

"Hey, Aladdin, I've been wondering for a while now…do you remember the time when I told you that you should not go into the dungeon back when we first met?" Alibaba cautiously asked and Aladdin hummed in response. Seeing that as a sign to continue, Alibaba resumed, "You act kind of different from how you act now. I'm wondering though, which one's it? Which one is the real you?"

Aladdin was silent, sending glances to the blue artificial sky. Truth to be told, Aladdin was beginning to feel a bit confused as well. The part of him who wanted to save and the part of him who wanted to destroy; which one was the real him?

"What do you feel back then?" Aladdin asked, "What do you feel about the me from back then?"

Alibaba shut his eyes and breathed in deeply. Letting go the breath, he cleared his mind and recalled how he felt. When he opened his eyes, he nearly shrieked as in front of him was Aladdin. What was strange was not the fact that he got there soundlessly but the colour of his eyes in which his right was stunning red whereas the left was sparkling blue.

"Now, can you answer me?" Aladdin inquired. His bicoloured eyes were lazily lidded and staring right into Alibaba's eyes. Alibaba almost had a feeling that he was drowning in them.

"I…I…actually felt a bit scared…terrified…you seemed distant and cold for some reasons," Alibaba stuttered. Aladdin's gaze soon left him and stayed on nothing in particular.

"I see," Aladdin concluded and Alibaba said nothing afterward for the child seemed to be in his own thoughts.

"Hey, Alibaba, you said that I'm amazing back when I defeated the slime. But that's not true. I'm not amazing at all. With these hands, I've brought harm to many, too many. These hands will be forever stained and I feared that no matter how, nothing will erase the stain of what I did. However, what I feared most is not that but the fact that I don't really know who I'm. Now that you mentioned it, I never really did figure out which sides of me is the real one," Aladdin spoke. His head hung low as he stared down at his hands. His mind was quite chaotic now.

Now, Alibaba did not really expect that to come out the mouth of a ten-years-old child. Besides, to think that Aladdin would actually tell him this just explained how confused and lost the young child must be.

Alibaba heaved a heavy breath and landed a hand on the child's blue hair.

"It doesn't matter now, does it? The Aladdin now is kind and amazing. That's all I know and all that matters. I don't care if you have bipolar disorder or something. I accept you, both sides of you because you're my friend and friends accept one another." Alibaba was grinning now, ruffling the blue hair beneath his hand. "Besides, I really hope that you'll not need to harm or worst kill others because you're in fact still a child."

"I'm not a child…" Aladdin mumbled and Alibaba laughed.

"You're still a child whether you like it or not and…children are supposed to smile more like this," Alibaba said, flashing a huge smile. Aladdin was a bit taken aback but he too couldn't help but showed a smile that was even brighter than the Sun.

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Alibaba and Aladdin had reached the centre. They walked down the corridor until they found a double door standing firmly in front of them and they did the only thing logical. They pushed open the door.

On the inside, there were many items that definitely weren't made of shinning gold. Well, they seemed to be made of stone rather than gold. In the middle of the room was a jug-like thing. The interior was vast but anyone could tell that the structure was ancient, judging from the crack and dusts that had accumulated over the years.

Aladdin hoped down the steps while Alibaba scanned through the room.

"Is this end? Have we reached our goal?" Alibaba asked. Aladdin rummaged through the stone items and picked a few up to examine them when a stomp was heard by the door that they had just entered.

They snapped to the direction of the noise and found the muscular man from earlier. Goltas if they were not mistaken. They stepped out of the way just in time before the man collapsed.

"This is terrible. He has severe burn wounds," Aladdin uttered, looking through the injured man.

'Those stab wounds!' Alibaba mentally gasped. Realization hit him and he gritted his teeth. That was when a shadow came at full speed towards them.

"Aladdin! Look out!" He managed to yell but it was still too late for the child was sent flying and crushing into a wall by a powerful kick. The attacker landed on her feet gracefully besides her master, Jamil.

The appearance of the two alerted Alibaba. He pulled out his knife and stood in a defensive stance. Jamil trembled slightly and muttered curses under his breath.

"You commoner…who do you think you're talking to?" Alibaba frowned at those words.

"Once we're here, it makes no difference whether you're a commoner or a lord!" Alibaba stated. The Sharif seemed to have a hard time accepting that fact; still hanging on his own opinion that Alibaba was nothing more than a weak, piece of garbage unworthy of living.

'Where's Aladdin?' Alibaba pondered. A sign from the Sharif and the girl was on her way to his unconscious friend. Alibaba tried to get to the girl but was immediately stopped by a sword from none other than Jamil.

"Wait a minute! You haven't received your punishment yet. What's with those monsters anyway? What did I do to merit such suffering? It's all…your fault! Your fault!" He was shouting hysterically, sounding quite pathetic. Alibaba frowned all the while thinking in disbelief that the man he had once feared was in fact standing and quivering in front of him.

"I guess you really must've gotten the living daylight scared out of you…but what're you whining for now?" Alibaba readied himself and pointed his knife to the man. "This is a dungeon, remember? Your rank, your heritage, your honour…none of that matters here! This is where you put your life on the line, where you risk your life! If you're scared, then do your trembling at home!"

"That's enough!" Angered, the man swung his sword several times. "Look like I'll have to school the commoner with my sheer ability."

The man looked confident enough and launched himself towards Alibaba who dodged his incoming attacks easily. Alibaba continued to avoid the reckless attacks from the mad man who was whining about not able to land a single hit on the blonde. Alibaba mustered up his strength and switched from defence to attack, defending another slash from the man, he carried himself forward. He could do it!

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On the side line, Morgiana was watching the fight between her master and the blonde. Her body readied to response to any call Jamil would throw at her.

"Alibaba is strong, isn't him?"

Morgiana turned at the sudden sound from the supposed to be unconscious boy and was met with two blue eyes that unmistakably belonged to the child. She stood apprehensively. Aladdin simply dusted himself as he struggled to pull himself out of the dent though only succeeded in falling down onto the ground with a hiss of pain. Seeing that the child made no move to attack, Morgiana allowed her body to relax a tad.

"I'll really appreciate it if you kick lighter next time, lady." Aladdin said, rubbing his sore stomach and back. Morgiana made no sound at that comment.

"You're not going to help him?" She asked. Aladdin shrugged.

"Not yet. Besides, he has already overpowered that man," Aladdin replied. A proud smirk crept its way onto his face.

"Morgiana! Save me! I order you to save me!"

"See, I told you."

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"You're wasting your breath. She's too far away…" Alibaba who had the upper hand now craned towards the direction of the female…only to meet with a pair of chained legs that could cost him his life. He countered the powerful kick with his knife and the girl bounced off to land beside her master.

Alibaba was taken off guard by the amazing speed the female displayed. Jamil seemed to gain back his confidence now that Morgiana had come to save him so he proceeded to mock the blonde.

"Hey, you…how long do you intend on following this jerk's order?" Alibaba posed the question to the female.

"This is a dungeon. No one will blame you if you escape from him. You can be free!" Alibaba even sheathed his knife and offered his hand to the female, hoping that she would come and finally set herself free.

'Now, what'll you do?' Aladdin wondered from his seat on the ground. He was avoiding any unnecessary movement that might worsen the pain. He would have to move soon and he knew it but for now, he would just sit back and recover from the awesome but not so good-feeling kick.

To Jamil's surprise, Morgiana trotted towards Alibaba but a smirk soon replaced the surprise look on his face as Morgiana smashed the poor blonde into the stairs. Ouch, it must have hurt…a lot.

'As I thought, so you still can't do it, can you. You still can't defy his order.' Aladdin thought sadly, exercising his muscles and hoping for a quick recovery. He needed to help Alibaba.

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Alibaba was about to get up, ignoring the pain that erupted through every parts of his body when he was forcefully brought down by a kick from Jamil.

"Damn you, commoner. You may not know a bit about wielding a sword, but you're one of those people whose fate is to be used!" Jamil shouted, 'generously' giving kicks on Alibaba.

"You've no idea of what it means to be a slave. Well, I'll show you now; the proper way to use one!" Jamil declared and went to Morgiana. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he ordered her to kill him. The poor girl was shaken to her very soul. This was the first time her master commanded her to kill. She received the sword groggily and as if in a dreamy state she trotted towards the lying figure on the stairs.

"Kill him." Her master's order was repeated over and over again. She was afraid. The harsh treatments she received when she was still a child came back to her. Her rate of breathing was escalating as she stared down the vulnerable young man. She gave a glance back at her master, the sword felt heavy in her hands.

"Do it." Her hands were trembling now but she couldn't defy orders. So, she raised the sword and brought it down, scrunching her eyes close.

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Alibaba waited for the pain to descend upon him but time passed. What greeted him was not pain but a clear sound of something snapping. The blade was broken by…Aladdin? A mixture of emotions flooded Alibaba. He felt relieved that the child was fine at the same time confused as to what he had done to make the sword break from such a distance.

"What?" Jamil was baffled at the turn of event. Glancing at the young child, he found no strength in his limbs as in the place of two blue eyes were blood red ones that were glaring straight at him. In the hand of the young child was a stone staff and what surrounded the child were black bird-like creatures he had never seen before.

Aladdin calmly strolled his way to Alibaba's side, ignoring the question about what he did from the annoying man though the man was wise enough to make way for him to pass. Sensing the dangerous aura from the child, Morgiana backed away as well. Aladdin helped Alibaba to get into a sitting position, checking if he was fine.

"Be careful…That girl is strong," Alibaba said between grasps of pain. Aladdin stood emotionlessly and turned to glare at the man. However, before he could do anything, he felt a hold on his hand and he glanced down at Alibaba who was holding onto his wrist. Before releasing his grip, Alibaba gathered his strength and whispered, "Don't…don't kill anyone."

Aladdin spent a few more seconds looking at the blonde-haired friend before turning away again, leaving no comment on what he would do and simply glared hostility at Jamil.

"Return my flute," Aladdin said. His hand outstretched at the man.

"Sorry about that. But if I do that, you'll favour that commoner more."

"Give me back my flute." Aladdin's voice was stern. Anyone would have obeyed by now but apparently the Sharif wasn't one of those. He foolishly challenged Aladdin to overpower him in order to regain his flute in which Aladdin did. Shutting his eyes, Aladdin concentrated and dark Rukh flew to the child's side, circling and twirling around the child. Soon, they followed the staff and gathered at the tip of it.

The others were awed by the sight of the dark creatures. Morgiana was the first to react by jumping towards Aladdin to stop whatever he was trying to do. She would have done but several more Rukh that came and restricted her movement by pressing her down. If not for her superior physical strength, she would have been crushed under the pressure.

'It's just like how my master said! He's the one! The one who guides the king. The greatest Sorcerer of Creation! Magi!' Jamil was thrilled now. His heart was beating fast for he realized his dream to be a king would finally come true.

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"_Young master, soon after I'm gone, a dungeon will appear and ten years later, a certain boy will arrive…and he shall be…"_ Jamil recalled the words his master left him long ago.

'Splendid! So it's you…my power, which my teacher predicted would emerge,' The Sharif thought happily. Finally, all this years of waiting, he had come.

"Magi, say that you choose me," Jamil commanded. Aladdin kept a straight face but his hand twitched in annoyance.

"Or else…" He gestured at the girl in front of him who was struggling against the force of the Rukh. Jamil smirked and declared proudly, "Morgiana here, you see…is a descendant of the Fanalis. Their kicks are like lightning, said to be able to pierce through the stomach of the lion; the king of beasts! They are truly the most powerful, ferocious beasts on Earth. Now if you don't want to become the pitiful lion…Surrender to me!"

With a swift wave, Jamil dispatched Morgiana towards the magi. She went up and sent swift kick towards the child. Aladdin lifted the staff and swung it towards the incoming attacker, delivering the gathered Rukh straight to the girl. A bright light engulfed the space and all the others in the room threw their arms up to cover their eyes from the abusing light.

When the light went away, Jamil blinked as he could not see the young fanalis.

"Huh?" He sounded. Morgiana was now stuck on a pillar and Alibaba let out a sigh of relief, seeing that the girl suffered no physical wounds and was still very much alive. He perceived the back of Aladdin. His heart relaxed slightly, convinced that Aladdin was in fact not going to kill.

Aladdin walked to the Sharif and the man fell to the ground in shock. He crawled away from the young child. Cold sweats were dripping from his cheeks and he could feel his body trembling at the pressure and aura the child was emitting.

"My flute…Give it back," Aladdin said. His red eyes glittered with malice. Jamil obediently followed his order and pulled out the item from his pocket, handing it to the child with quivering hands. Aladdin turned away from him as soon as he got back the flute.

"Wait a second!" Aladdin halted in his movement and looked back at the man. The man flinched under the gaze of the blood red eyes but gathered himself and asked, "You're going to make me king, aren't you? I mean my master said so ten years ago! I've been waiting…for this very day to come; the day that you will choose me! Towards the end, I used people, issued decrees, expanded trade and made Qishan prosper!"

Aladdin narrowed his eyes and sighed. His eyes never left the figure in front of him. The man continued his babbling, "I'm amazing, right? That's right, I'm incredible, commendable. I'm a competent man so make me king!"

"King? You? Don't make me laugh. I don't know what the old man from the organization told you but in my eyes, you're not that great at all," Aladdin dully stated. His eyes were burning into the man and Jamil crept backwards, away from the child. Aladdin sighed, rubbing his forehead tiredly.

"You're not strong at all. Kings are supposed to be led his people, not used them. They work with their people, not above them. You're nothing but a weak human who think himself is greater than others. You use others like they're scums but you're no more than that yourself," Aladdin threw the harsh words straight at the man.

"I don't really want to do this but to tell the truth, you're irritating, annoying and arrogant. To put it mildly, I dislike you," Aladdin commented lightly, picking up broken blade from earlier. Toying it in one hand, Aladdin moved calmly to the man's side. The man was horrified and backed away as fast as he could when he realized what the child wanted to do. Alibaba was sharing the same feeling as the man, totally horrified.

'No, he can't be!' Alibaba silently prayed in his heart so that the bad omen he had never come true but hope was fading away fast as Aladdin approached the cowering figure. He wanted to go to the child, to yell at him to stop. However, he had yet recovered from the smash, plus he felt an odd pressure on his chest, pushing him down to the ground. Was this his doing as well?

Aladdin had reached the man by now, the broken blade still in his hand. He adjusted the direction of the blade until the sharp end was facing the man. Raising the sharp item to the air, he prepared to strike. His eyes narrowed. All he could see now was the colour of blood and subtly the hand holding the blade trembled before he brought down the blade straight towards the man.

"_You act kind of different from how you act now. I'm wondering though, which one's it? Which one is the real you?"_

"_You're still a child whether you like it or not and…children are supposed to smile more like this,"_

"_Don't…don't kill anyone."_

The blade stopped an inch away from the man's throat. The man was panting hard now, not daring to move because any unnecessary movement might end him for good. Aladdin glanced down at the man again with a disgusted look before the red colour melted away and soft blue returned to the child's eyes. The sharp item was tossed aside and Aladdin departed towards his friend who was staring with his eyes wide.

"Are you okay, Alibaba?" Aladdin inquired. His voice turned back to the warmer one and Alibaba was relieved to see that the child he knew was back. He was extremely glad that Aladdin had not killed anyone and that made him hug the child in front of him, ignoring the pain that was lacing through every parts of him.

"Alibaba?" Aladdin called, a bit startled at his friend's action. Aladdin let him stay like that for a little while before Alibaba finally released the crushing hold.

"Thank goodness! You didn't kill anyone!" Alibaba expressed his relief and reached to ruffle the child's hair.

"I hate to see someone lost their life again…"Alibaba whispered as an afterthought and Aladdin's eyes softened a bit. Just then, the ground they stood on shone. A magic circle appeared right beneath them. Soon, several more followed, all pointing towards the middle. The stone items from before went through a huge change into sparkling gold and flame lined across the air, shooting up into the sky as a figure emerged from the flames.

"_**Who is the one…who would be king?"**_ An ancient voice broke out. The blue Djinn of flame revealed himself as a rather old-looking man. His size was huge as he stared down to the occupants and scanned through the ground.

"You're-" He paused at the sight of Aladdin before reverting his glance to Alibaba who was standing next to the child and scoffed. Alibaba was complaining about the reaction he got from the larger when the Djinn decided to shrink down to a smaller size, saying that he would hear him better that way.

"_**Well, well…Magi,"**_ He bowed with respect at the child. That action left Alibaba shocked again. _**"It seems like what he said was true; they did reach you first."**_

"Eh? What do you mean by that?" Aladdin asked, raising an eyebrow. The djinn caressed his bear but made no sign of answering.

"_**I'm afraid that that's something I can't tell you…yet"**_

"_**My name is Amon. I was created from decorum and austerity, fire-wielding Djinn."**_ He introduced. _**"As the master of this dungeon, I hereby acknowledge that you've cleared this dungeon."**_

"Cleared, huh?" Alibaba was going crazy now, rushing to collect the treasure he desired.

"Amon, who's the he you talked about?" Aladdin questioned.

"_**He's the one who will guide you in the future to the truth."**_

"Truth?" Amon nodded in response.

"_**Yes, the truth, o magi about who you really are and of course your forgotten memories."**_

"Who I really am?" Aladdin repeated. Amon nodded once more.

"_**You're magi. One who chooses kings, throughout the history, every king has been chosen by a magi. Whatever mankind gathers, there is a need for a king to unify them properly. There is someone who is destined to become king. And thus to seek this person out, discover him, to guide him and to train him well, a wise man has been sent to this world by our great king. That is what you already knew, right?" **_Amon asked. Aladdin gave a small nod to the Djinn before he continued, _**"There will be a time when you will seek further for the truth and knowledge. Choices will have to be made; either to save or destroy."**_

"Hey, hey, if we've cleared this dungeon, that means we can take all this stuff, right?" Alibaba cut it suddenly. His hands were full of the gold and treasures.

"_**Do as you like."**_

As swift as a wind, Alibaba went back to collect the treasures with a cheer. He was really on cloud nine now. Both Aladdin and Amon couldn't help but sighed simultaneously.

"Never mind him, what do you mean choices?" Aladdin demanded. He was totally confused now. The Djinn was ready to reply when the whole place shook. Aladdin nearly lost his footing whereas Alibaba popped his head out of the treasures in panic.

"What's happening?" Alibaba asked.

"_**Someone is trying to seal the road. At this rate, you won't be able to go back outside,"**_ Amon replied.

'Can it be?' Aladdin thought and hurriedly asked, "Amon, what's the time now?"

The Djinn seemed to be taken aback by the question but still he answered, _**"About ten minutes to noon."**_

'He cheated!' Aladdin screamed in his mind, stomping his foot down to the ground. Alibaba was too busy whining for help to notice the foul mood. The Djinn ceased his fretting and waved his hand in the air. Soon, a pillar of light appeared in front of him.

"_**Those of you, who wish to return, step inside this. This dungeon shall soon collapse. Only death awaits those who stay behind."**_ Both Aladdin and Alibaba stepped inside the light. Of course, with bags of treasures.

"Hey, aren't you going back? Why are you worrying about a guy like that?" Alibaba yelled at Morgiana who was standing beside the Sharif. She seemed indecisive, moving back and forth. "All he's done until now is treating you like dirt, right?"

Just as Morgiana was trying to reach for the man, she felt a strong hold on her wrist. Startled, she looked back.

"Goltas, you're alive?"

"A man like this…cannot be…allowed out of here…" Goltas spoke with difficulty. His voice sounded hoarse like it was not used for a long time.

"You can talk?" Morgiana gasped.

"I've been at this fool's beck and call…and killed countless of people…I shouldn't…leave this place…either…" He said, picking up the Sharif like a sack of potatoes. "But…you're different…you can still go back. Go home to your country…Morgiana…That is my final wish!"

Using his sword, he sliced through the chain binding the girl's leg. With a cling, the chain was broken and finally Morgiana was free.

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Morgiana watched as Goltas along with Jamil on his shoulder disappeared amidst the collapsing dungeon. Her heart was heavy.

"_**I'm sending you,"**_ Amon announced and the circle they were standing on rose steadily before shooting upwards.

"_**I should go as well."**_ With that Amon flew in the form of light and settled himself inside Alibaba's knife and so they all left the dungeon.

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Outside the dungeon, Judal had just completed the procedure of sinking a dungeon and was currently relaxing on the flying carpet. Smirking rather deviously, he stared at the collapsing dungeon all the while imagining the young child's expression.

Why did he do that for? Well, as a payback for making him searched for a certain chibi for days. Yes, as simple as that. He should probably head back now, preparing for the complaints and whining he knew would come soon.

"Ah, the Sharif that old man raised was gone now…" Judal mumbled under his breath before shrugging. "Never mind, he's weak after all. I wonder if Aladdin ended him well."

With that, he left silently, back to Kou Empire.

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"We've cleared the dungeon, huh?" Aladdin questioned.

"Huh? Ah, yeah," Alibaba replied. They were sitting side by side. Alibaba still had trouble convincing himself that this was not a dream. He had finally reached his goal. All that was left was to handle the matter in Balbadd…

"Our adventure's over too…" Aladdin trailed off. His eyes were somewhat dull and sad. It was all temporary and he knew that but still it hurt. Morgiana had dozed off by the side, exhausted by the roller coaster of events that occurred.

"I'm planning on using this treasure as capital to make a name for myself in Sindria. Remember the scroll I showed you before? That's the nation that Sinbad created. That's where I'm going to make my Sinbad Dream come true!" He admitted.

"That's great then!" Aladdin joined.

"Well, first of all I've got to stop by a country called Balbadd, and take care of some business there…but…umm…What are you going to do?" Alibaba asked, trying to avoid the subject of Balbadd.

"I'm going back home. I've something to tell my brother…and of course revenge to take," Aladdin whispered the last part as quietly as he could. His eyes darkened as a creepy smile spread across his face. Alibaba laughed nervously at the sight of the dark aura around the child.

"I see," Alibaba sobered. "To be truthful, if I hadn't met you, I don't think I could've captured the dungeon…I mean…I don't think I would've even come to capture it…The thing is, when push comes to shove, I kind of freeze up…And because of that, I once messed up really bad, see…So, I guess you could say I'm just a coward."

"That's not true!" Aladdin was standing now and he declared, "You're a brave guy! Remember the desert caravan? No matter how much scorn was heaped on your dreams and honour, you never got mad but when the value of someone else's life was scorned, you flew into full rage and you didn't even hesitate to risk your own life. That's why you are not a coward. You're brave and strong, and of course reckless but since then, I've taken a great liking in you!"

Alibaba was blushing slightly, embarrassed. He scratched the back of his head nervously.

"Besides, I've to thank you as well. You've make my first trip to the outside world interesting and challenging. I'll never forget a friend like you!" Aladdin said. He was truly happy now though he knew that they would have to separate eventually.

"Wait, first?" Alibaba asked. Aladdin blinked and nodded.

"Yes, this is the first time I'm been allowed to go outside."

"Why?" Alibaba was determined to know why a child like Aladdin was kept locked up. Aladdin's expression tensed and he frowned.

"They said that I'm unstable," Aladdin stated, plopping back down his seat.

"They?"

"They back at the organization." Well, that answer was not helping at all.

"Never mind that, what do you mean by 'unstable'? Is it an illness or something?" Alibaba asked. Aladdin couldn't help but chuckled.

"I thought it's pretty obvious," Aladdin said, pointing at his own head. Receiving a confused tilt from Alibaba, he sighed. "It's a pretty long story."

"Tell me then when you're done with your matter back at your home and when I've done mine in Balbadd. Don't say that our adventure is over! There's a ton of other fun things, excited things out there in this world! Let's go and I'll show you; the world you had never seen before, okay Aladdin?" Alibaba offered excitedly, stretching out a hand for the sitting child to grab on.

"Okay!" Aladdin cheered and accepted the hand.

"When we met again, you better introduced me to your brother then. Deal?" Alibaba was grinning madly. His heart leaped in rhythm with the excitement he felt.

"Deal!"

"Alright! That settled it! It's a promise, then!" Alibaba exclaimed.

"Yes, it's a promise." Aladdin said. "A promise."

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A blinding light came and Morgiana landed on her feet. She gasped and looked around.

"This is…the outskirt…" She muttered as she realized that she had ended up in the outskirt of Qishan.

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"From the ruins of the dungeon…"

"It's just like the legend…"

"Well, how could…that kid?"

Mutterings were heard among the people when Alibaba discovered himself back at where the dungeon once stood. Unable to hide his joy any longer, he let out a yell of victory which was followed by the cheers of the crowd that had gathered by the side.

Enjoying the praise of the crowd, Alibaba leaned back against the bags of treasures.

'You'll be coming soon, right? I'll be waiting, Aladdin!'

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Meanwhile at a place far away, Aladdin was lying on the grass as the wind combed through them. Several figures came, riding on houses and noticed the child who was unconscious on the ground.

And the new journey began…

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"_The time will soon come. The choice had to be made for the sake of the future of the world."_


	6. Chapter 6 : Family

**Chapter 6 : Family**

_Without a family, man, alone in the world, trembles with the cold._ **Andre Maurois**

It had been three days since Alibaba had conquered the dungeon. Alibaba was zooming out by the window, looking at nothing in particular. His mind drifted to a certain boy who had yet to show up. He sighed, settling back down into the luxurious sofa. He eyed the delicacies in front of him with little interest and sighed. Even with beautiful women, finest wine and the mountains of treasures in front of him, he still felt empty. Maybe it was because he couldn't find Budel to pay back the compensate he promised. Speaking of that fat man, where was him anyway? Well, never mind.

"Where are you, Aladdin?" Alibaba wondered out loud.

"Sir Alibaba, there's a child here to see you," A man came and announced. Alibaba beamed, thinking the possibility of the return of the young child. He nearly flew downstairs to meet with the visitor, hoping to find the familiar blue he missed. He stayed rooted to the ground when he found none instead it was a red haired girl whom he had met as well. He couldn't explain the disappointment he felt and let his cheerful expression fell. It was not Aladdin…

"Why did you use your treasure to free us slaves?" Morgiana asked. They were upstairs now where they could see the ever busy town. Enjoying the slight breeze of fresh air, he answered, "Because I figured that's what Aladdin would have done. He despises those who enslave others after all."

"Everyone is really grateful to you. I think I may be grateful too. To both you and that boy," she said. Alibaba smiled and continued to glance at the town.

"What are you going to do now?" He questioned.

"Someday, I will return to my homeland. That's what my benefactor wanted," she replied without much hesitation. Seeing Morgiana make up her mind about the future made him a little bit inferior. Thinking over the need to make up his mind as well, he departed the very next day to Balbadd, his homeland.

Revising Aladdin's words back when they were on their ways out of the dungeon, he smiled. He had felt so happy when Aladdin acknowledged him, telling him that he was no coward but a brave person. He knew that Aladdin wouldn't want him to spend all of his days waiting for him to return so Alibaba decided to handle the matters in Balbadd first and then they could go on a journey again.

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"Damn, I'm bored," Judal whined. "What took chibi that long anyway?"

To tell the truth, Judal was itching for some complaints or even taunts from the smaller who had yet shown up to do so. He sighed and shifted so that his back was leaning against the tree trunk in a comfortable manner. Staring up into the blue sky, he began to wonder where on Earth the child had ended up to.

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Darkness was all Aladdin could see. He felt weightless as if floating. Reaching his hands out, he could touch nothing.

"Where am I?" His own voice echoed through the space. He received no response. After floating and wandering in the dark space for a few more moments, his feet finally came in contact with a cold but solid ground. He flinched at the coldness but continued to scan through the area, hoping to find something other than the terrifying darkness. Nothing.

It stayed dark for what seemed like centuries before the ground he stood on shifted. It trembled beneath him and his feet sank into the ground. He tried to pull his feet up, only to find them wet. He was in a middle of a dark pond. The darkness was crumbling away to reveal a place he knew so well.

Horror. Everything was in flame. Houses were burnt down, people were screaming for helps and worst dark clouds hovering directly above the town. Shrieks and shouts were in the air. Blood was flooding the town, painting the streets red.

Aladdin couldn't move. His heart was yelling, begging his limps to move but he couldn't. He was paralyzed as dark hands suddenly shot up from the liquid beneath him, dragging him down in place to immobile the child. Aladdin screamed to be released. Tears were dripping from the edges of his eyes. It hurt. It hurt him to see this. Since when had watching been the only thing he could do? He fell to his knees, his hands flew to his ears, attempting to block away the screams and yells of help.

"Stop…please…" He voiced weakly, scrunching his eyes shut. Then, everything fell silent. Aladdin opened his eyes slowly. There was nothing, no blood, no fire. He removed his hands from his ears and stood cautiously.

He was back there. His room back in Kou Empire. Books and scrolls were neatly arranged on the shelves. A middle-sized bed was placed right beside a table where some papers laid. The wooden chair was in front of the table like the way he remembered and for a moment there he felt relieved, thinking that he was fine now, or maybe not.

"You must stay here, you can't go outside." Aladdin was shocked when he heard the voice. He made a sharp turn at the direction of the voice. A man clad in black with his face covered was speaking.

"No," Aladdin said, recalling the event too well.

"You cannot go outside of this room."

"No."

"You must stay here."

"Stop." The man didn't listen to the child's plead. He turned to the door, calmly walked out of the room. Aladdin rushed behind the man as fast as he could but no matter how quick he went their distance seemed to increase for every passing second. When he was just an inch away from the opened door, the man turned back and the door was slammed shut.

Aladdin banged on the door, begging it to open. Digging his nails into the hard material, he scratched desperately. It was useless to try and open it. It was locked, it always was no matter how hard he tried, there was no way out. He crumbled down to the floor and positioned himself with his back leaning against the door. He hugged his knees to his chest as the tears dropped freely. From every parts of the room, darkness stretched, trying to grab the child and devour him. He shrank away from the dark tentacles.

"Help…" Aladdin began. "I'm scared…brother…Someone…Help…"

His hands flew upwards to hold his throbbing head.

"I'm afraid…Don't leave me alone…I don't want to be alone!"

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Aladdin gasped as his eyes flew open. Panting slightly, he waited for his vision and mind to clear. With his hand, he wiped away the sweats that were covering his face.

'It's just a nightmare,' he thought. His heart calmed his rapid beatings.

"Have you awakened, child of Rukh?" Aladdin blinked and craned to the side. An old lady was stirring something while smiling kindly towards him. "You look very refreshed. The Rukh are pleased."

"Rukh?" Aladdin asked. So, this old lady could see Rukh as well?

"They're flying there," she said, gesturing with her staff to the side where a few Rukh currently was.

"Granny, you can see them too?" Aladdin questioned excitedly, sitting upright in the bed. It was not every day you could meet a person who could see Rukh. Well, except back in Kou Empire.

"Yes, in fact I can. They are visible to you as well?" The lady asked, opening one of her eyes to look at Aladdin. "Can you see the embodiments of the never-ending flow of life?"

Aladdin's gaze followed the movements of the Rukh as they twirled around in the air, surrounding the figure in front of him. They appeared to be very peaceful around the old lady which indicated that the lady must be a very kind person. Nodding, he shifted to remove the blanket and dangled his feet by the bed.

"The Rukh is the home of the soul. All those that are living will eventually pass. When that time comes, they will all return to a single place. The body returns to the soil, but the soul returns to the Rukh," the old lady stated. Aladdin couldn't help but agreed with that though it applied only for the white Rukh. Speaking of which, he hadn't seen a single black Rukh. What happened to them?

He scanned around the tent and realization hit him. It must have been the atmosphere in here. The white Rukh were overpowering, much more dominant than the black one. That must be the reason for both Rukh didn't actually like to stay together. It was almost like they repelled each other as if the same poles of a magnet. However, they were willing enough to work together for him. It was a pain to unify them but the results were rewarding and amazing. Aladdin sighed lightly, earning a questioning look from the old lady.

"I'm always being saved by them," Aladdin trailed off. It was not that bad an idea to share a conversation with the old lady, especially since she was kind enough to help him. "When I share my power, those particles of light gather and lend me their power."

"My child! What you say is…" The lady was surprised by Aladdin's words. She didn't get the chance to finish her question as a voice called out from the entrance and a bright light followed as the entrance was opened to reveal a young lady with light brown hair.

"What's it, Touya?"

"The scouting party has returned," the girl informed. The old lady nodded in understanding.

"So they have." Then, she turned to walk out of the tent with Touya.

The tent dimmed once more when the light was blocked away by the material. Aladdin picked up his flute that was carefully laid by his side and gave the place a totally scan just to make sure. His eyes roved over the strange illustrations hanging on the wall. Strange and weird, he couldn't really understand what the images meant. Well, he could always ask later right?

Stepping out of the tent, he threw his arms over his eyes to block away the blinding sunlight. Once his eyes adjusted to the light, he gasped at the beautiful scene in front of him. The whole place was vast. The tents were set far apart from one another, allowing a wide range of movements for the residents. The way the Sun shone upon the field made the whole place shone and it was breath-taking. He was spending his time, admiring its beauty when his ears picked up a familiar fluttering sound, he gave a sideway glance and beamed.

"There you are," he whispered. His hands stretched out to welcome the black Rukh. They happily twisted their ways around the child's fingers and Aladdin grinned. Soon, the white Rukh came as well, almost seemed to be jealous of the black one. Not wanting to lose, they twirled around the young child which elicited a gleeful giggle from the said child.

Spotting the backs of the granny and the lady from before, he rushed to their sides.

"Can you see them?" The elder of the pair asked. Aladdin could certainly see it though it was faint; the flying dust that showed the arrival of the party.

"Yes."

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The horses came to a stop and the men got down swiftly.

"Welcome back, Dolge," Touya greeted as soon as he dismounted the horse.

"Thanks."

"Did you get hurt?" She asked. The man stuttered and scratched the back of his head nervously while the others watched on with amusement.

"Dolge is the one who found you unconscious and brought you back," she introduced the man to Aladdin while the old lady trotted to the side where another man kneeled.

"What did you find in the east?" She asked sternly.

"Another village has been invaded," the man reported gravelly. The elder nodded.

"Don't worry, Elder Baba." That gained her full attention. "The Kouga Clan had managed to avoid the greedy hands of other nations for hundreds of years. We'll slap them away this time too! For the pride of our clan!" And they all yelled simultaneously to show their supports.

'So, this is the infamous Koga Clan,' Aladdin thought. 'Quite an energetic bunch.'

"Ah, I nearly forgot," Dolge said. "There're some logs that had been blocking the way to the East. Better clear them away or it'll be troublesome later."

"I'll help!" Aladdin volunteered while the men gathered the tools needed. Dolge gave a poke on Aladdin's forehead.

"No, you don't. Children should stay here. Leave the work to us," he declared. Aladdin's brow knitted together into a frown and he pouted. Why did they always have to call him a child anyway? Well, he admitted being one but still it was annoying! They were like 'you can't do this and you can't do that, why don't you go around and play?'

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"Where's the child?" Touya inquired as she saw the men off. Elder Baba made a motion with her shoulders that said 'I have no idea.'

"Maybe he's at the back," she assured herself, silently prayed that the men returned safely.

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"This will be quite some work!" One of the men complained as they stared at the scattered logs that looked positively heavy. The others groaned.

"Well, let's get started then. The logs aren't going to move themselves!" Dolge exclaimed. The others cheered in unison, lifting their spirits. Dolge halted when he heard a childish voice among the cheer. It couldn't be…He whipped his head to the back, only to find a blue-haired child sitting lazily on the back. The child grinned and he felt faint. How did he get there without notice? Judging from the shocked looks the other men had, they must had not noticed the child either.

"What in the world are you doing here?" Dolge asked, pointing at the child. Aladdin cleaned his flute and gave him another grin.

"I'm here to help you," he droned as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Dolge's head dropped into his palm as he rubbed his temple. He halted the eager child who was trying to dismount from the back of the horse.

"No and how did you get here anyway and I know you ride the same horse as I did but how can you do that without any of us noticing?" Dolge questioned.

"Sharrl Magud," Aladdin stated, swinging his legs back and forth. That was a water magic he had come across in one of the magic books back home. It came in handy at times like these as it helped to erase him from other's sight. However, it was quite hard to learn since he majorly focused on heat magic. It took him a long time to learn this, well, considering the fact that he had nothing much to do back there, it was the only thing that kept him from boredom.

Dolge was showing this face that clearly shouted confusion. He shook his head several times before sighing.

"Never mind, just stay here and don't run about causing trouble then," he advised and picked up his tools to join the others who had started working on the logs. Aladdin scoffed in dissatisfaction. Glaring at the back of Dolge and the others, he frowned. He would show them what he was capable of, definitely.

Dolge had cut down another log while the others dragged the shortened pieces to the cart. He couldn't help but sighed when he saw the remaining logs that were piling. To tell the truth, he wasn't sure if they were able to finish in this rate. His musing was cut short when a blast of wind went past him.

"Huh?" He stared in shock as the remaining logs were neatly cut. Turning back, he could see Aladdin standing by the horse, smiling innocently at him.

"What did you do?" Dolge asked. The other men too gaped at the neatly done work.

"This," Aladdin said and pointed at the cut logs. They were suddenly lifted from the ground. The floating wood then made their way to the cart and settled down on it slowly and cautiously. Dolge was so shocked that he was sure that his jaw dropped to the ground.

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"What are you? Are you a spy from Kou?" Dolge asked, slamming his fist to the desk. Aladdin was holding onto Touya, watching as he threw the question at him though he did peek up a little when he mentioned 'Kou'. They were back now in a tent as the 'interrogation' began.

"There's no way this child is a spy," Touya convinced the fretful Dolge and he calmed down almost immediately.

"What's your name?" Another young man spoke. "Where did you come from?"

Aladdin wasted no time and gave them his name though seeing how Dolge spoke of the Kou Empire with dislike, it was wiser to not tell them where he was from.

"I was in a town called Qishan. Do you know of it?" Aladdin asked. He needed to get a general location of where he ended up in after all. The men blinked and shared a look of confusion until one of them gave the hopeful reply, "I have heard of it. It's supposedly beyond the western lands and takes about two years to reach by foot."

"What? It's that far away?" Aladdin nearly slammed his head into the desk but before he could do that, Elder Baba assured him that it would be fine if he ride with the caravans that would arrive in two weeks.

"Thank goodness." He cheered in relief.

"Do you want to go back that badly?" Touya asked from his side.

"Yes," Aladdin replied with a smile on his face. Now he thought of it, he had been doing it a lot lately, smiling he meant; a true, happy smile. "I made a promise with a friend."

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"Everyone seems to be having fun," Aladdin commented. The moon was really pretty now and they were having a dinner outside. As the clan members gathered into small groups, talking and laughing while joking and enjoying the meal made his heart flutter with happiness.

"We are one big family here." Elder Baba said, watching the zealous people cheer and dance by the fire.

"Everyone here is family?" Aladdin inquired. The old lady nodded.

"Our people have lived together for hundreds of years. We are of the same blood."

"All one family…That's nice," Aladdin uttered. He had a faraway look on his face as he remembered his family. Most of his memories were blurry and he doubted that he even remembered his mother's face. There were times when he missed them very much and he would often go to his brother for some sort of comfort. His brother would often tell stories about how troublesome Aladdin was when he was small and how they would return home late every day to be yelled at. Though the elder would always smile or laugh or tease the younger, what clearly showed in his eyes were uncertainty and sadness. It seemed that he didn't really remember them all that well too.

"You do not see."

"Huh?"

"The people of the plains are one with all those who share our lives. You are also a part of the family," Baba said as if noticed Aladdin's sudden lack of word. Her wrinkled hands reached out to ruffle the child's hair. "You're also one of my beloved children."

Aladdin felt like crying now. It had been a while since someone said that to him. He couldn't stop himself as he tackled the old lady into a tight hug. His vision blurred by hot tears.

Crack!

Whoops…

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Unknown to them, on another side, armed army was lined neatly, watching the lively clan. The wind whipped past them and the flag flew, showing the symbol of the great Kou Empire.

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"This is so delicious~" Aladdin sang out. He was currently tasting the really good horse milk in the most nature way and that was directly from the horse.

"No, stop! You can't drink that directly from the horse!" Touya exclaimed from the side but Aladdin had shown no sign of moving away.

"She said stop." Aladdin felt himself being grabbed by the head and forcefully detached from the horse. After some complaints from Aladdin, Dolge calmly made his way to Touya who was eying his sword wryly.

"What's the sword for?" She asked with a small frown on her face.

"Just in case." That was Dolge's reply while grinning. He stopped though when he found Touya sobered.

"It'd be nice if that just in case never came. I hope that we are never forced to fight. I wish we could just live here in peace forever."

"Touya, don't worry. I'll always protect you," Dolge swore. Thing was just getting romantic when a yell broke through the air. Aladdin was clinging on a running horse as it ran through the field.

"Shoot, I've got to stop him!" Dolge exclaimed and ran towards the child on the running horse.

"Aladdin!" He called just as another horse rushed past him. Dolge watched the newcomer grab the child, sighing in relief before focusing on the newcomer.

"Are you all right, young man?"

'That voice…it can't be!' Aladdin glanced back and was met with the smiling face of a kind lady. He gasped. 'You're…'

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"I am the third daughter of the first Kou Emperor, Hakuei Ren," she announced. "I've come to engage in diplomatic talks with you."

"Welcome, esteemed daughter," Baba greeted. "I'm the granddaughter of the 155th great king of the Kouga Clan. I am called Shaman Chagan."

"I'm aware," Hakuei bowed slightly. "The Koga Clan was once the most prosperous equestrian tribe in the world. The first great king of the Kouga Clan supposedly had powers rivalling a demon's and built the largest nation known to man; the Great Kouga Empire."

Aladdin was sitting by the side with his chin resting on his hands as he listened to Hakuei.

"In recent years, the Kouga Clan has weakened and has even been targeted by slave hunters." Hakuei continued. Aladdin shifted as he sensed the rising anger among the clan members.

'So, that's what happened.' Aladdin thought. 'Though, I can't say that you've given them a good impression, sister Hakuei.'

"But today, that suffering is at an end. Please come under our empire!" Hakuei declared. Mutters and whispers were heard among the people. Hakuei did not feel pressured by the increasing rage but calmly resumed, "We aspire to unify the land, from Laem in the west to Partevia in the southwest. Our goal is to unify the whole world. The same as your Kouga ancestors once dreamed of doing. Please lend us your strength."

Aladdin scanned through the faces of the clan members. They all had the grim looks on their faces. The Rukh fluttered and he glanced at the trio where Hakuei stood. Behind of her, her assistant whose name was supposed to be Seishun Ri if Aladdin remembered correctly was standing obediently by the princess' side whereas the other man, who was him again? He was quite strange, weird and definitely not worth to trust. Aladdin frowned as the man shove away Touya who was offering some horse milk to them.

"Listen up, you rabble! The village is now under the control of the Kou Empire! You'll submit quietly! We're saving you from this crude, dirty lifestyle, after all. It's a good deal, no?" The man yelled and grinned madly.

Angered, Dolge dashed forward with his knife but was blocked by Seishun.

"Killing this man is the same as a declaration of war. Is that what you desire?" Seishun asked. Dolge was glaring at him when finally Elder Baba spoke.

"Stop, Dolge." Reluctantly, Dolge removed his knife and backed away whereas Hakuei ordered Ryosai to stand down too.

"We're withdrawing." As simple as that, they took their leave. Aladdin studied the dissatisfy look on that rude man's face before they departed. Frowning, he slipped away, thinking that he might need to talk about something more than just greeting.

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"Why did you stop me?"

In the tent the general was currently residing, Ryosai was complaining, saying that they had the perfect opportunity to get rid of those Kouga people. Hakuei reminded the man that they were future citizens of the Kou Empire and Seishun agreed with Hakuei to think of the best strategy than to charge blindly into war.

"I'll think of something by tomorrow morning." And she dismissed them.

After they were both gone, Hakuei heaved a frustrated sigh. She had to think of some way to get all of them to follow her as a general. There was definitely some way. Ah, this was so tiring.

"Good evening." Hakuei jumped a little. Whipping her head upwards, she caught sight of a figure sitting on a flying cloth. "Long time no see, sister Hakuei."

Hakuei prepared to draw her sword when the child jumped from the flying cloth and landed before her. The magic cloth folded itself back into turban. Raising his hands at the hostile stance Hakuei was making, Aladdin managed to make her calm down a bit. She scanned at the young child before her, tilting her head slightly in confusion.

"Sister Hakuei, don't tell me you don't remember me? I'm Aladdin," he sobbed. Hakuei blinked before realization seemed to come to her.

"Ah, magi!" She exclaimed. "It has been a long time since I last saw you, you've grown!"

Aladdin beamed and warped his arms around Hakuei. She was taken aback initially but soon smiled and ruffled the blue hair tenderly.

"You're mean to have forgotten me! Though I don't blame you…it had been quite some time since we last saw each other after all and can you stop calling me with formality? Aladdin is enough," Aladdin drawled. Releasing the hug, he sobered, "By the way, let's have a seat. I want to talk to you for a bit."

"I would like to speak to you as well." Hakuei nodded.

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"Are you going to take over that village?" Aladdin asked. "If you do, Granny will be sad. They have taught me the meaning of family. They're very important to me."

Knowing her, she would not kill anyone. She was that kind of a person.

"I'll not kill anyone. Not a single soul. That I can guarantee you," she replied firmly without a doubt. Aladdin casted glances at the Rukh around her which were moving without hesitation or any form of doubt. He flashed a smile at Hakuei who returned it with a smile of her own.

"I understand. I'll try to talk to Granny and the others," Aladdin decided.

"You've my greatest gratitude, magi," Hakuei thanked formally. Aladdin scratched his chin and sighed.

"You don't need to be so formal…and don't mention it because you're also my family and family members help one another!" He said all the while smiling and as if recalling something, the smile dimmed.

"Ah, one more thing…that ill-mannered man from before…who's he?" Aladdin asked carefully, eyes gazing at the surrounding to make sure no one heard them. Hakuei immediately frowned.

"Ryosai. One of my underlings," was the simple reply from the princess.

"I see. Well, you better watch out for him. I can feel that he's up to no good." Without waiting for a reply from Hakuei, Aladdin let his magic turban throw him up into the air before landing on it. "For the next time we meet, be sure to call me by my name, okay?"

Hakuei watched in awe as the small figure disappeared in the night sky. A smile graced her feature and she returned to her desk, bearing Aladdin's warnings in mind.

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Aladdin was on the way back to the Koga clan. With the night wind came and went, it made the night ride refreshing and enjoyable though he simply couldn't shake off the bad feeling in his heart. What was happening to him recently? He must be tired. Yes, that must be the reason, nothing more to be getting all paranoid about.

"_**He's the one who will guide you in the future to the truth."**_

"_**There will be a time when you will seek further for the truth and knowledge. Choices will have to be made; either to save or destroy."**_

He? Truth? Choices? Oh dear, this was confusing and frustrating to even think of. Recollecting those words Amon spoke of, Aladdin could barely make a head or a tail out of it. It was all in a jumble like shattered pieces of a puzzle with missing parts here and there. Argh, just the mere thought about it elicited a headache. He rested his head in his arms as he lied on the flying cloth. Ouch, it was no going away; the headache. It was still there pricking at the back of his head and he rolled as a weak attempt to make it fade away.

"_Come." _

Aladdin shot up from his lying position and scanned around. He was sure he had heard something. His wondering was being interrupted as swarms of white Rukh swirled over him. They looked troubled and worried.

"What's going on?"

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Touya could hear the spinning wheels that were rubbing against the ground and the ugly laughter from the men that had grabbed them. Her arms felt numb while her shoulders hurt. The rope that tied her hands was rough and uncomfortable. She couldn't even speak due to the cloth covering her mouth. She closed her eyes. She was feeling so helpless now but what could she do?

'I'm so sorry…'

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"They're so dead!" Dolge cursed, mounting onto his horse with his knife shinning in the darkness.

"Let's go!" The men cheered with their knife raised into the sir. Their anger was flaring, their knife eager to cut through those despicable men.

"You are absolutely not to kill anyone. If you kill even one of them, there will be war. Do you understand?" Baba roared. Without giving any form of reply, they charged forward. "I'm counting on you!"

Baba watched as the men disappeared in her sight. Pulling her staff in front of her, she prayed so that they could return safely. A sudden wind came and her eyes snapped open. A few feet away from her, Aladdin descended on his flying cloth.

"What's going on, granny?" He asked. His feet were dangling at the side of the cloth freely. Baba stared with her eyes wide at the child. What on Earth…

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Back to the men, they were dashing on their horses. Urging their horses to go faster, they ran through the vast field, following the traits the wheels had left.

"Hold on, Touya!" Dolge mumbled to himself. He could only wish that they were not too late. That thought alone spurred them to go faster and they did so.

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Touya nudged her head away from the offending weapon held in front of her as their kidnapper laughed.

"What a great, strong clan. You're going to make me rich for all eternity," A man who seemed to be the leader said with a smug smile on his face.

"What are you going to do?" His underling asked. Touya supressed a shriek as the leader dropped the knife to point it at her stomach.

"She's going to be my breeding horse. As long as she can have kids, I'll have slaves and therefore be rich," he explained, tracing the knife up and down her stomach. Touya made a defiant noise while the man mocked, "What was that? You don't like my plan?"

"Of course you do, right?" He answered for himself, pulling Touya's braid up and with a quick movement, he sliced the braid off.

"Captain! We have pursuers!"

"What?"

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Dolge and the others had finally caught sight of the carts that were leaving. Encouraged by the fact, they sped up. The Captain was shouting orders to the soldiers as they scrambled to prepare to attack.

As the rain of arrows came down upon them, they separated into two groups. With their skills and advantages, they surrounded the moving vehicles all the while dodging the deadly arrows. Slowly, they moved closer and closer to the speeding vehicles.

Seeing the approaching of Dolge, the Captain commanded his men to fire again. However, their effort was futile for the arrow was skilfully deflected by Dolge's sword. The Captain was so shocked that he didn't even have time to dodge when he received a kick in the guts by Dolge who climbed into the cart.

"Don't you dare look down on Kouga clan," Dolge warned. The Captain drew his sword, endeavouring to make Dolge back off. However, his sword was knocked out of his hand by the young man. Yelping rather unmanly, the Captain crawled away from Dolge.

_If you kill even one of them, there will be war._

Dolge was about to kill the pathetic man when he suddenly recalled Baba's words. Holding back, his hands trembled. He spared a glance at Touya but that seemed to be a mistake as his anger came back and he moved.

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"I've lost them," Aladdin said, disappointed. How did they go so fast? Ow, no fun at all.

"We will wait for them here," Baba decided. Plopping back down onto the cloth, Aladdin sighed. Great, now he had to wait. "They are fine warriors of the Kouga Clan. Believe in them."

"Fine," Aladdin breathed out. He wondered though, would they be able to return without killing a single soul? From what he heard, the kidnapper was quite nasty to have grabbed the women from the clan. Could they really do it?

"Child who can call on the power of the Rukh and perform great deeds, you are like the Magi of the old tales."

"Huh?" Aladdin was brought out of his trains of thought by Baba's old and kind voice.

"There is a tale from a time when there were no countries. During a time of calamity and disaster, a young man appeared before the people and said, 'Humans, create a country. Come together and live under a king. The power to be king may be gained by overcoming the trials of this tower.' Untold numbers went into the tower, never to return. Finally, one did and became king. A country was made and peace reigned. The people greatly respected the mysterious young man who gave them that prophecy. They called him the Magi."

'So that's what those strange pictures meant.' Aladdin realized.

"The country created in that story is the one we called the Great Kouga Empire," Baba continued. Smiling with pride, she enjoyed the night breeze. Aladdin couldn't help but smile a little as well, feeling the warmth and kindness from the mother figure.

"I see! So, that's what Magi is, huh? It's strange that even though I thought that I know myself, yet at the same time I don't really know anything about myself. Who am I?" He asked no one in particular.

"Right now, you're Aladdin, my child. Do you have any family or friend?" Aladdin titled his head before nodding vigorously.

"I've a big brother and a friend called Alibaba!" He exclaimed. His childish side had taken over again.

"Then you are Aladdin, your brother's family and friend of Alibaba." Those words caught Aladdin off guard as the old lady laughed, "Isn't that strange? This old granny knows very well who you are." Baba said, placing her hand on Aladdin's head. Aladdin closed his eyes in content, enjoying the warmth from the hand. Elder Baba really reminded him of his mother who he barely had any memories of. He hoped that he could recall more of her kind smiles and gentle touches.

Aladdin muttered a word of thank to the elder before he remembered something important that he had yet to do at the mention of 'family'. He stood and said, "I met with the Kou princess yesterday and she promised me she would not kill anyone. So don't worry, there will not be a war. Everything will be okay."

The elder lady was surprised by the child and gasped in disbelief. Before she could say anything, they had returned. She could perceive the approaching groups and she thought her heart would jump right out of her chest when she noticed the glittering weapons in their hands. For a moment there, she feared for the worst.

"Elder Baba! Everyone is fine! We were able to rescue everyone without killing a single person!" That successfully put her heart to ease. As she embraced Touya, she felt truly grateful for they kept her words in mind and saved everyone.

"So, they did it, huh?" Aladdin whispered, watching the group with interested eyes. His whisper was covered up by the uproarious cheers of joy and victory. The joyous atmosphere cracked a smile on his face. "Really, what a zealous and interesting bunch."

"We'll surrender ourselves to the Kou Empire," Baba suddenly declared. Everyone even Aladdin was startled at the sudden declaration as she continued, "What's it that we absolutely must protect? Is it our clan? Our pride? No, it's our lives. No matter what happens, we must not choose war. Wage war in your hearts instead. Wage a war to live on as a family."

After that motivating talk, the smiles regained their previous position on everyone's face.

"Yes."

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That night, they rounded around a large campfire to celebrate their success. Putting his hands in front of the warm heat, Aladdin watched with amusement at Dolge who was giving Touya a flower-shaped hairpin. Apparently, her hair was cut off by some jerk back there. Baba seemed to notice this too and stood in front of the young couple with a creepy smile on her face.

"Time to be a man, Dolge," she said.

"You're making a perverted face, Elder Baba!" Dolge yelled. Both his and Touya's face was burning red and Dolge childishly tried to punch away Baba but his attack was easily avoided by the elder. Laughter chimed through the space as the others watched the playful exchange.

"Where are you going?" Dolge asked as he saw Baba leaving the warm circle.

"Just to relieve myself!" was the reply from the elder. Making his way through the grass, she looked up at the beautiful night which was decorated by the twinkling stars and a gorgeous moon. Thinking of the reason as to why she had become so disoriented and her role to simply keep her family alive. Finally, she was determined to live on until she could see the smiling faces of her beloved children, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.

Then, a swift whoosh in the night air and a stinging pain in the back was all she sensed before her body fell forward and her vision faded into darkness.

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'Granny sure took her time,' Aladdin thought. He wished to talk to her more about family and the world he never knew about.

Another wind blew by, carrying the scent of blood as the Rukh flew to him. Examining the movement of the Rukh, he paled.

'No, it can't be!'


	7. Chapter 7 : Revolt

**Chapter 7 : Revolt**

_I'm fed up to the ears with old men dreaming up wars for young men to die in._ **George McGovern**

"Elder Baba, just hang in there!"

"Elder Baba!"

Aladdin had arrived at the spot where the clan members were. He could see the arrow that had struck Elder Baba. His blood ran cold when he recognised the arrow. It was from the empire. Anger pent up in him. When he found out who did this, that person was going to pay for it.

"She is still alive! Hurry and get her back to the village immediately!" A man exclaimed.

"I'll do it," Aladdin volunteered and unfolded his turban. After setting down the elder, he sped towards the village.

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"Are you sure?" Hakuei asked while standing up abruptly.

"Yes. It seems like the Kouga clan attacked them while they were patrolling," The soldier replied, presenting the arrow in his hand to the princess.

"It's just like I told you. There's no longer any need for diplomacy," Ryosai voiced from the corner. He picked up one of the arrows and snapped it in half like a twig. "We should just wipe them off the face of the Earth."

Hakuei closed her eyes and considered the possibility of the clan to attack the patrolling group when a familiar blue flashed in her mind. "I'll go to their village."

"What?"

"I have to find the truth. We need to know if they truly loosed their arrows against our army," Hakuei decided and turned to walk away.

"I won't let you do whatever you please! Even if you are a princess, you're only the previous emperor's daughter. You only have this position because of the benevolence of the current emperor. And he has given me the task of watching over you. I won't overlook your selfish actions," Ryosai stated, slamming his hand down onto the desk. Seishun openly frowned and glared at the rude man.

"Then I will go there on personal business," the princess insisted. "Ruling through force only leads to eventual reprisal. To truly capture the hearts of men with a beautiful ideal, that is the noblest pursuit."

Ryosai gave up on arguing with the general as he realized that no possible words could stop her now. Seeing this as a chance to carry out his plan, he asked in return for the command of the army in her absence which she agreed with a grave nod.

"We're going, Seishun."

"Yes," Seishun obeyed and followed the princess all the while sending wary glances at Ryosai.

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"Grandmother was wounded by one of the Kou Empire's arrows!" A man of Kouga clan announced.

"We should fight! They tried to enslave us through kidnapping and even ambushed grandma! There's no reason to endure this anymore!"

Soon, the men began to agree to the statement and one by one they cheered in approval. Touya watched with worry and Dolge chose the time to stand up.

"Please wait everyone! Grandma said that no matter what happens we must not start a war. She told us to fight only in our hearts and survive!" Dolge tried to talk the men out of this but they would not listen. Overwhelmed by their spirits, Dolge found himself incapable of stopping them as their cheers for fight tore through the air.

Within the tent, Aladdin sat beside the injured elder. Feeling rather useless now, he could only listen to their war cries and the sounds of their footsteps as they prepared for war.

"Grandma, your beloved village is in trouble," Aladdin said, brushing away a few strands of sweaty hairs away from her forehead. She was looking worse, panting and sweating heavily. He could hear their shouts as they departed towards war.

Time was running out. He stood beside the old figure and frowned. He didn't have any confidence in doing this, especially when he had only read about it once in the book. If he made any mistake in the middle of any important procedure, it could be the end of her life. However, the situation seemed to speak volume. There was no choice in the matter now.

Placing his hands on the elder's injured section, he breathed in deeply and he summoned the Rukh. His hands glowed slightly and he gathered some water from the air. Surrounded by water, he sent out his magoi via his hands as his magic did his work.

"Healing magic," he muttered. He was concentrating on the wound when a hand shot up and grabbed his wrist. The glow dispersed as the water dropped, splashing onto the ground.

"Please help me, Aladdin," Baba sighed out. Aladdin stared at the elder and nodded.

"Let me finish healing your wound," Aladdin said, trying to wriggle his hand out of her grip but to no avail. Baba shook her head as she struggled to sit upright.

"No, I'm fine as I'm." Raising a hand to stop Aladdin's protest, she continued, "We must hurry to stop them."

Seeing how the determination shone in Baba's eyes almost made him sad, he knew that no matter how she would definitely go after them, dying or not. He sighed. Were the people outside always this selfless?

"At least let me seal the wound temporarily first."

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"So with that you've gained full authority. Still, it's strange that they didn't even kill a single soldier under that much provocation. They must all be great cowards! Thanks to them, we've had to dirty our hands," One of Ryosai's underlings said.

Ryosai scoffed and wondered out loud, "I wonder what'll happen if our princess wanders over there right now."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm merely worried. There's a chance that the angry savages might kill the princess," he uttered, raising his sword in front of him. His underlings were shocked.

"Was that your plan from the start? Why on Earth would you?" His man asked.

"Why? Because it's fun. Watching those fools blabber about hating war driven to rage and forcing them to reveal their true nature, seeing them kill each other in war is fun!" He exclaimed.

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"I cannot believe that the Kouga clan would try to start a war," Hakuei said as she rushed to the clan on her horse.

"Why?" Seishun inquired as he followed behind the princess.

"Because of the magi I talked to last night," she replied.

"Magi? You mean the priest?"

"No, not him but the other. You may not know him because he was confined back then," Hakuei said. "I felt that his word can be trusted."

"I see," Seishun muttered.

"In any case, we need to talk to them," Hakuei decided and sped up. As they went through a valley, an arrow was shot from above, directly in front of her. That successfully halted her movement and Hakuei raised her head, only to see several men from Koga clan armed with arrow on both sides of the hills while more of them came, surrounded them from the front and back.

Hakuei dismounted her horse and ambled forward.

"How dare you attack grandmother!" One of the men hollered. Hakuei tried to calm down the man but all was in vain. Anger had blinded the man's mind. When he charged at Hakuei with his knife in hand, Hakuei decided that the best way to calm him down was to do nothing. And so, the knife was brought down onto her.

"Why didn't you dodge?" The man was baffled and backed a few steps away after he realized that his weapon just inflicted a cut or two on the unmoving target.

"We do not wish to fight you. Please, let's talk and find out the truth," Hakuei persuaded in hope that they would finally stop this. Silence befell upon them and for a second there the tension raised.

"Don't be fooled! They did the same thing yesterday! Kill them!" Someone shouted among the clan men and soon everyone followed the lead. Hakuei feared for the worst when they looked as if they were about to attack.

"Stop you fools!" The raised weapons were brought back down as an order rang. Hakuei visibly relaxed slightly when they parted way for the elder to pass through.

"What a shameful display. Do you still call yourselves warriors of the Koga clan?" Baba lectured. Beside her, Aladdin was throwing worried glances at her for he felt her body shake beneath his hand that was supporting her and he wondered how much longer the sealed wound would last before they reopened again.

"Look carefully at what you truly should be protecting and what sort of battle you should fight for that sake!" Baba spoke and trotted to the princess.

"Our clan will become a protectorate of the Kou Empire," she said and knelt down with her head bowed. Protests wasted no time to be voiced but Baba ignored them. Instead, she uttered again, "It's as you see princess! Our clan is wounded and weary, both in body and soul, from our long battle against slavers and invaders. I will not forgive any that hurt my family even more. There was once a time when I steeled myself for war with your country. However, a certain child told me something."

Hakuei's eyes widened upon that statement and she listened on attentively.

"He told me that the commander of the enemy's army is a trustworthy person."

Hakuei turned slightly to look at the blue haired child. Aladdin did not meet her glance but in turn he stared emotionlessly at the elder's back.

"But those are no ordinary wounds. It must have been an arrow from my army," she said when she noticed the red liquid that was forming underneath the elder.

"The life of one elder or the life of all the villagers, you should know which is more important." Hakuei frowned but could do nothing but to respect her choice.

"From now on, I guarantee the safety of the Kouga clan in the name of the empire and my own," she declared. The men had solemn looks on their faces.

"So we've finally surrendered to another country," A man said with his head low.

"Who cares about something like that! We just have to live on with honour and pride like grandma said!" Dolge yelled and some of them nodded in agreement.

"People of the Kouga clan, show your intentions as well!" Baba uttered. One by one, they dropped their weapons onto the ground and knelt in front of the princess. Exchanging looks with Aladdin, Hakuei understood the hidden message depicted by those blue eyes. All of these troubles seemed to revolve around a certain person; Ryosai.

Aladdin could not measure how amazing Elder Baba was. Everyone indeed possessed the courage to choose their own future. However, it seemed that it was also too late now for Baba. She had already exceeded her limits and passed the point where Aladdin could help.

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"Grandma, hang in there!"

"Grandmother!"

"Grandma!"

Aladdin stood at the back of the tent as he watched nonchalantly at the people who were yelling and calling for the elder.

"What is it, Aladdin?" Aladdin whipped his head backwards in disbelief at the voice of Baba.

"Why are you by yourself all the way back here?" Baba asked. Aladdin could see the warm glow of her supposed to be body and his eyes lidded.

"Grandma, you died, didn't you? Everyone's crying. They loved you," he said. That elicited a few laughs from the elder.

"You speak as if it's not your business. What about you, Aladdin?"

"I also loved you," Aladdin answered, offering a smile to the spirit. "But, I have fewer memories of you than everyone else."

"Hey, Aladdin, you think that you're all alone, don't you?" The spirit questioned. Aladdin gave a shake of his head.

"No, I'm not…" He trailed off. 'I'm not alone,' was what he wanted to say but no matter how, he couldn't as he heard his own voice crying out in pain in the darkest corner of his heart.

"_I'm afraid…Don't leave me alone…I don't want to be alone!"_

"Is that so? Now that I'm in this form I finally understand who you really are. Look at that," Baba muttered, pointing at the other occupants of the tent. He could see them the warm glow of life in each and every one of them.

"All living things are singular in nature. However, the source collects them all into one. The blood of the world that connects all souls. That is Rukh. And you who are beloved by Rukh can borrow their power. You're a magi. You'll live alongside countless lives and guide them towards a better world though it's strange that I can also see the darkness within you. Move on and a day will come when you have to choose. I'll always support you, beloved child of Solomon. Remember that you're not alone."

It was a weird feeling in his heart as he reached out for the elder who was melting into the form of Rukh and returned to the great flow. Warm liquid fell from his eyes and he let them fall, grieving for Baba who had been an awesome family…to him.

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"From now on, it's up to us to protect the peace in this land," Hakuei said on their ride back to the camp.

"I understand," Her companion replied.

"And once we return, there's something I must take care of," she muttered. She gasped in surprise when she saw the flags of the Kou Empire, worse the army under her was mobilised and in front of them was Ryosai.

"What're you doing?"

"What? We're marching to war of course," Ryosai droned.

"Pull back the soldiers! The Kouga clan has agreed to become our protectorate," Hakuei announced, hoping that the soldiers would retreat now. She had finally done this in peace. She couldn't afford these fools to ruin it now.

"What disappointing cowards," Ryosai commented. "They completely disregarded the fact that they were hunted for slaves and ambushed and readily agree to negotiations."

"So it was you, Ryosai!" Hakuei exclaimed. So what Aladdin suspected was right, Ryosai was really up to no good. Ryosai admitted it easily, saying that his original plan was to let her been 'unfortunately' slaughtered during negotiations with the savages and he was left behind to avenge her murder by annihilating the village with full power of our army. Really, what did he think he could achieve by throwing such a theatrics?

"We'll see about that. You have only ever commanded a mere thousand men yet you wish to command an entire army? Why would you attempt to gain such an inappropriate rank?" That proved to be too much of a provocation as Ryosai started yelling about how he could have been promoted to be a general if it weren't for her.

As furious as he was, he ordered his subordinates to attack. And so arrows were loosened at her. Ryosai's smile nearly faded when the arrows were stopped in the air before they even came close to hurting her. Hakuei swung her fan which she had held in front of her and directed her magoi to push away the offending items. As a bonus, she greeted the soldiers with gusts of wind to clear their mind a little.

Ryosai cursed and commanded his men to take her down. As the soldiers charged into battle, Seishun moved to the front and extracted his dual swords from their sheath. As he did so, he calmly activated his household vessel, Double Moon Sword which succeeded in knocking back a group of soldiers.

"What would you have me do?" He inquired.

"Just buy me some time," Hakuei stated. "I'll scatter this meagre amount of soldiers with my remaining magoi."

"Understood." Seishun armed with his swords pushed himself forward as he dealt with the small flies.

"Oh spirit of maniacal love and chaos. I order thou…" Hakuei commenced and the seal on the fan lighted. "Cover my body. Descend unto my body. Transform my body into a great spirit. Paimon!"

Wind engulfed her as she equipped her djinn. She ambled forward, hands gripping hard on her newly transformed weapon. Gusts of wind danced around her, prepared to take down anyone who got caught in their ways.

"Traitor Ryosai. The first imperial princess of the Kou Empire, Ren Hakuei, will mete out your punishment! Prepare yourself!"

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Each members of the Kouga clan was mourning for the loss of their great leader and caring family. Setting down the flowers by her side, her warm smile would always be in their memories even when her body would rot away. They would remember her forever.

Aladdin was outside of the tent as it would get pretty crammed soon. Staring up at the sky, he sat down on the green carpet of nature. His braid flew slightly when the wind came. Another windy day. The clouds moved in the air as the strong wind blew.

'Strange, this wind almost feels like sister Hakuei's wind,' he thought as he felt another strong breeze. Along with the breeze, several Rukh followed to the direction of the camp. Aladdin stood upright. He sensed troubles. Could it be that mad man did something stupid? Better go and see for himself.

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"At this rate, we'll be annihilated!" One of the soldiers shouted, seeing yet another group of soldiers been devoured by the wind.

"Loose the arrows!" Ryosai ordered. The man argued by saying that they would hit their own men but Ryosai insisted, knowing full well that they would not be harmed.

As the arrows rained down onto the unexpected men, Hakuei sent slashes of wind and deflected them for both sides. Noticing the fact that if this went on, she would run out of magoi soon so she called Seishun back.

"We'll take them out in one hit," Hakuei said and the both of them shot upwards into the air, riding the small tornado under their feet.

"Magul Alhazard." A humongous tornado appeared and ensnared the remaining soldiers, knocking them to the ground. The duo in the sky landed on their feet too and Hakuei's djinn equip faded away, followed by her collapsing onto the ground, feeling drained.

"Their numbers have dwindled. Capture Ryosai!" Still no forgetting the main thing in hand, she exclaimed.

"What do you mean our numbers have dwindled?" Ryosai who had avoided the deadly attack earlier mocked with a smirk on his face. To both Hakuei's and Seishun's shock, another line of soldiers were in stand-by behind him. Damn, she was careless. If only she had known that there was this many soldiers under that traitor's influence.

Grunting in pain, she was held down by several men as well as a sword so cautiously placed by her throat.

"When the magoi stored in a metal vessel runs out, the household vessel that is blessed by it becomes useless. How powerless you are, miss dungeon clearer," Ryosai was enjoying his victory now staring down at the princess. Hakuei's eyes narrowed warningly, glancing at her collapsed companion who was suffering from multiple cuts here and there.

"No need to worry. I'll kill you quickly. And I'll make sure your little brother, Ren Hakuryuu, follows you as well." And that was it.

"You bastard!" She broke free of the strong hold of the men with a newfound strength. If there was something she had to protect absolutely, that was her family. She would never let this man laid his dirty hands on him, never. Drawing out a sword from the sheath of a nearby soldier, her blade clashed with Ryosai's.

"Good. I'm a warrior as well; one worthy of the position of general. We'll decide it with a duel!" Ryosai offered. Their blades pressed hard against one another. Their hands trembled under the sheer strength and pressure the other placed.

"That's fine by me!" Blinded by anger, she did not notice an ugly smirk that was settling onto his face. Thinking that she still had a chance on a duel, she soon registered the sharp jabbing pains on her shoulders, followed by her legs and she fell to the ground. Ryosai laughed.

"You actually believed me? Stupid fool!" Ah, that was right. Hakuei couldn't believe that she had actually, for a moment there put her trust into his words. "You're going to die slowly and painfully!"

'Is this as far as I can go?' Hakuei couldn't help but wondered. She wanted to stand and make the man paid for this but her already injured legs couldn't afford such movements.

"So, what if you're the first imperial princess! Your existence is tiny and worthless!" He continued to blabber and pointed his sword up towards the air as if ready to strike. Hakuei hissed in pain when she was once again roughly held down by the men.

"Ah!"

"Argh!"

Several shout and scream from behind caught Ryosai's attention and he turned to the back just in time as an explosion occurred.

"Whoops." A voice was heard from amidst the explosion. "And I thought that I can slip in quietly."

Hakuei could feel the hands that were gripping her loosen as they all stared in shock at the figure that was emerging from the flying dusts which formed as a result from the explosion.

Dusting himself, the figure strolled towards Hakuei and the others. When the dust cleared, his blue hair shone in the light.

"Magi!" Hakuei gasped. Aladdin was trying to get some debris out of his hair while keeping an eye on them. His eyes narrowed at the damage done on Hakuei and Seishun who was still in fact unconscious despite the flashy entrance of the young magi.

"Ah, sister Hakuei! I hear about the ruckus so I come to check!" He stated cheerfully.

"However…" His voice dropped a few degrees, making the men shiver and he sent glares at the soldiers and of course Ryosai. The blue colour of his eyes melted into red and they showed no remorse. "I never thought I'll find this."

Ryosai gulped and stepped away from the child but then as if remembered something, he smirked, "Magi? Are you by any chance the one that had been held in the palace for over six years?"

Aladdin tilted his head to one side, pondering about what exactly was the man planning to do now.

"Exactly what a child like you who know nothing about the world can do to me? Even if you're a magi, you're still a child!" Ryosai yelled and Aladdin had the urge to roll his eyes. Truly, how idiotic could this man be? Didn't he just see the explosion? Or should he make a bigger one?

"What're you doing? Attack him! Your opponent is nothing but a mere child!" He threw the order to the soldiers and they scrambled to obey. Aladdin didn't even bother to resist as he rolled his eyes. And they followed this guy? Their standards had just dropped to a whole new level.

Striking the Earth with Baba's staff that he borrowed a while ago, the ground rumbled. Waves of power and pressure tackled the men before him. Their horses panicked and scrambled backwards. The men too grew weak under the aura and mere presence of the child.

"Drop your weapons." An order as clear as the day. The shaken men did so, discarding their swords and bows to the ground. Their knees too gave up and they dropped to the ground with their heads low.

Ryosai struggled against the powerful waves. Sparing glances at his subordinates, he cursed. Gripping harder on his sword, he gritted his teeth in anger.

"No, I'll not accept this!" He shrieked. His face was twisted into a mixture of rage and madness. He lunged forward, countering against the pressure and power.

"Aladdin!" Hakuei yelled from the side line as she watched the blade being brought down onto the child. Aladdin flashed an assuring smile at Hakuei for a second before craning back towards the man.

The traitor grinned. He was sure he got the child now as the pressure he felt earlier dispersed into thin air. However, his guess was proven wrong for he was held in mid-air, just about an inch from the child. He tried to no avail to jerk away from the child. His body would not move. It was like he was been held into place by strong hands. He glanced down at the child but he immediately regretted this action as he was left further more paralyzed just by staring into the scarlet orbs.

"I can make you a general, you know," Aladdin began suddenly. The man that was still in the air had this very funny look on his face.

"Really?" He asked hopefully.

Aladdin's red eyes were lazily lidded as he watched the man in front of him.

"Yes…" He replied with a smile plastered on his face. "In your dream."

"Asfal Riif." A simple spell and that sent the man high for a trip in the air. When the wind ceased, the man dropped not so gently onto the ground. That might earn him a few broken bones somewhere around here and there but who cared? He deserved it anyway.

"What a windy day today is~" Aladdin sang with a soft sigh. He looked at the collapsed figure and proceeded to poke him in a very childish way with the staff. "And you actually believed me?"

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Now standing in front of Hakuei, his red eyes turned back to blue.

"Are you okay?" He asked and helped Hakuei up. Removing the arrows from her, he gathered some water from the air and tended to her wounds.

"Yes, thank you, magi." Aladdin pouted and Hakuei blinked.

"You and brother Hakuryuu are so alike. It took him a year to stop calling me by formalities. I hope you can drop the formalities and call me by my name like you did just now," He said, folding his arms in front of his chest and frowned.

Chuckling slightly, she let her shoulders relax as the pain was very much gone now.

"Okay, all done now!" He cheered. "However, you still have to let a proper doctor heal you. I can only do this much for now. Oh! And don't worry about the cut on your cheek, it won't leave a scar. I've made sure of it."

As he moved on to heal Seishun's wounds, Hakuei whispered, "Thank you, Aladdin."

Aladdin beamed and nodded at her. Just then, her fan shone and she held it in front of her. Aladdin saw this too and went to touch it, of course after gaining Hakuei's approval. A bright light broke through the seal and there she was, Paimon with her over exposed clothes.

"**How is everyone doing? I am Paimon; a djinn created by Solomon from maniacal love and chaos. My master is queen Hakuei Ren**," she greeted.

"Paimon, it's been a while!" Aladdin greeted back and the djinn smiled.

"**Yes, it's been a while, magi!**" She hummed.

"I see you're still as fit as you are and by the way, I met another djinn, Amon. Ever heard of him?"

"**Ah, that old man? Yes, I guess he's still pretty much fine.**" Paimon said.

"I've a question to ask you, Paimon. He left some…confusing words," Aladdin uttered.

"**Like?**"

"What does he meant by truth and choices and of course who exactly is the he that he spoke of?" Aladdin inquired. Paimon's expression suddenly changed into a fearful one.

"**I'm afraid that the only one who can guide you is the will of the great Rukh.**"

"I see," Aladdin's eyes dimmed before light returned to them.

"**Besides, I'm only interested in helping the king candidate Hakuei who I've fallen for.**" Aladdin sweatdropped. Well, since this was Paimon he was talking to, she didn't really care about anything else other than that.

"Anyway, I'm glad to see you again, Paimon," Aladdin concluded.

"**Yes, me too. Let's talk again next time then.**" Paimon waved goodbye and she returned to the fan.

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"Holy priest! Where are you, Holy priest? No…magi!" A man with his face covered called as he went through another hallway.

"Over there, huh?" He breathed out when he heard the sound of biting. He raised his head and yes, there he was, sitting on the roof while chewing on an apple.

"Do not neglect the audience with the emperor. You'll draw his wrath." Judal resisted the urge to sigh and he was enjoying himself up there too. Pushing himself up from the sitting position, he jumped from the roof and landed onto the ground.

"But I don't like that pig," he mumbled under his breath. As he heard the clashing of weapons, he turned and glanced at the training field. He grinned when he spotted Hakuryuu who was training yet again.

"Hakuryuu!" He called. The said person lowered his weapon.

"What's it, priest?" Hakuryuu asked with a slight frown on his face. "You're interrupting my training."

"Now, don't be like that! You really should just become the emperor. I swear you're a thousand times more tolerable than that pig on the throne now." Judal's grin widened. "If you want some power, you can get it quickly. Just become a dungeon clearer like your older sister, Ren Hakuei."

Hakuryuu sighed when Judal's hand connected with his head, delivering a few soft pats.

"You're still talking about that? More importantly, I heard that you somehow got Aladdin into a dungeon and sank it before he even came out of it. Is it true?"

"Yes," Judal answered truthfully, nodding his head and Hakuryuu really had to hold himself back from trying to strangle the priest in front of him.

"What if he can't get out of there?" Hakuryuu asked. His anxiousness crept back up onto his face. Judal's grin turned into a soft smile as he stretched his back lazily.

"Don't worry, he'll be fine. He's not going to die because of something like that," Judal stated. Hakuryuu wanted to retort but held himself at the sight of the confident smile on the other's face. "He's fine. I can feel it. Somewhere…"

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"Anyway, you must be Seishun, right?" Aladdin asked. The said teen blinked in confusion. Aladdin held out his hand towards the teen. "Sister Hakuei told me a lot about back then. I'm Aladdin. It's nice to meet you in person."

"Nice to meet you, too," Seishun greeted back and shook his hand with Aladdin's.

"Anyway, are you going to return to the empire?" Hakuei asked from the side. Aladdin tilted his head to the side before nodding.

"Yes, I've something to take care of," he said. His smile turned somewhat terrifying and Hakuei knew better than to question about it. Instead, she offered a soft smile at the child which he returned with a bright smile of his own.

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"Can I really take this?" Aladdin asked, holding onto Baba's staff as he got ready to depart for Kou Empire.

"Yeah, I'm sure grandma would want you to have it," Dolge replied. Aladdin smiled as he scanned the place. The village was stepping towards a new beginning. Under the strong insistence of Dolge and the others, Aladdin stayed for a few more nights before he decided to return, saying that he still had some matters undone.

"You should take a weapon too," another young man offered. Aladdin's eyes widened in realization when he examined the weapon up close for the first time. That knife was the same as the knife Goltas used back in the dungeon!

"Hey, do you know someone named Goltas?" Aladdin questioned. Seeing the looks on their faces, Aladdin told them in short about the big guy; about their meeting and finally his death.

"So that's what happened," Dolge's face was grim as he continued, "Goltas is a common name among the Kouga clan. That guy must have been a part of our family too. We'll pray for his soul."

"I see," Aladdin said and sat down on the magic cloth.

"Even though it was a coincidence, thanks for watching over his last moments," Dolge thanked.

"No, it wasn't a coincidence. All these encounters aren't coincidence. That's why we'll see each other again someday!" Aladdin exclaimed and the cloth rose slowly into the air.

"See you, Aladdin!"

"See you!"

Their farewells rang through the vast field and Aladdin waved at them one last time before he picked up his speed to return home; where his family was.

"We'll meet again! The people of Kouga!"

And the Rukh flew across the never ending blue sky.


	8. Chapter 8 : Memories

**Chapter 8 : Memories**

_Both expectations and memories are more than mere images founded on previous experience._ **Samuel Alexander**

"Where am I?" That single question echoed in the dark space for more than once. Aladdin felt weightless in the air. Even when he opened his eyes to see, there was nothing there for him to glimpse on. There was no exit, not that he could find one in a total darkness. There were no walls and it was like a world of darkness without limits.

He wondered how long he had spent in that space, feeling nothing but the coldness that came out of nowhere.

"_Come."_

"Huh?" A voice? Who? He let his eyes run freely through the space. Nothing. Was it his imagination? He was convinced so and closed his eyes, waiting for this never ending darkness to end.

"_Come, seek."_

Aladdin jerked and looked around. Still there was nothing, not even a slightest light.

"Anyone there?" He asked to no one in particular while glancing warily around.

"_Come."_ The deep voice called before a light broke through the darkness. It was blinding and abusing to the eyes so Aladdin threw his arms before him to block away the light.

"Who are you?" Blinking, the child asked to the light.

"_I'm the one who will show you the truth."_ The light or someone within it answered. Aladdin's eyes widened.

"What? Why should I believe you?" Aladdin argued, stepping back into the darkness. The light was not offending but he felt rather uncomfortable as he approached it. It was as if something within him didn't wish him to go near that light. Therefore, he slowly let himself sink back into the darkness. He was about to shut his eyes again when suddenly the voice rang, _"No. Come."_

The darkness around the child hissed as the light penetrated them. A bright tentacle made his way to the child and wrapped firmly around him. The darkness reached for him but was pushed away by the white tentacle. Dragging the child towards the light, Aladdin tried to wriggle out of the thing that held him but only succeeded in making it wind around him tighter.

"Let go!" Aladdin shouted. He was frightened. What was this thing?

"_No, you should come and see for yourself, the truth."_

"No! Why do I have to believe you anyway?" Aladdin half screamed. He was right in front of the light now. Miraculously, the dragging stopped. Panting slightly due to his struggle, the tentacle suddenly loosened. He was more than ready to bolt back into the dark space but when he was about to stand, his knees felt weak and he collapsed back down. Then, a huge hand emerged from the light. He was sure he nearly shrieked when the hand reached down towards him.

He scrunched his eyes close and bit his lower lip. The hand did nothing except stretching out a finger to place it softly on the child's head. He should have flinched away so it was strange that he didn't. His heart calmed down when he felt the warmth from the finger. Slowly, his tensed expression faltered and turned into something more peaceful.

"_Then…I'll show you…one of your precious memories."_ The finger at his head shone as bright as the light behind it and soon Aladdin was engulfed by the light and cradled by it. When the light faded, he was sure that he ended up somewhere different. He opened his eyes, only to meet with a wooden ceiling. He blinked both in confusion and to clear away the blurriness of his vision.

Reaching out, he stared at his palm, only to bolt upright from the lying position he had discovered himself to be in. He made a good once-over at the limbs.

'What in the world is this? I shrank!' He mentally panicked, staring down at himself. Yup, he was definitely smaller in size and shorter in height. Casting the blanket aside, he couldn't process anything useful under this situation. What had happened? Just then, he felt something shift beside him.

"What's it Aladdin? Can't sleep?" A melodious voice came knocking. Subconsciously, he craned to the side. The room was dark so he couldn't see the figure well but it was definitely a woman, judging from the voice.

"Mother?" His mouth opened involuntarily. His voice came out to be higher and more childlike as his body moved towards the figure. "I've a nightmare again."

The woman removed her blanket as well and pulled him into an embrace.

"Is that so? Then, don't worry. Mother will make sure the nightmare go away. Come and stay with me." Her voice was warm and nostalgic. His body moved closer to the woman without his own record. He leaned his head on her chest while sitting in her laps.

Softly, in the darkness, she hummed a lullaby while patting his back. Warm and gentle were the words Aladdin found in the woman, Was this his mother? How could he forget such a gentle and important person?

Aladdin didn't know how much time he had spent on those musing when she suddenly sang out the lyrics for the lullaby. The words were indiscernible but the melody was clear and loud in his mind. It was like the melody sparked off a piece of memory and he recalled the nights when he had nightmares, a soft tune and voice that calmed him as well as the warm hands that were placed firmly against him.

'Ah, I still don't…want to sleep yet…please…just let me see your face…just one more time…mother,' He pleaded mentally as his vision wavered and blurred. His eyelids felt heavy and threatened to close. He clutched onto the woman's cloth as he was lulled into a deep slumber.

His vision came back clear a second before he drifted into the world of dreams and that moment was when the clouds moved away from the moon. As the moonlight showered upon them via the window, he saw it; the face of a kind and beautiful woman he called mother.

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The weather was nice, neither too hot nor cold. Accompanied by the gentle breeze, the leaves danced in the air while the grass swayed. Occasionally, petals of myriad hues would join in the dance. Overall, it was a pleasant day, indeed. Well, not so pleasant for a certain someone though…

"Why did I have to attend an audience with that pig anyway?" The dark-haired priest groaned. He made a yawning motion as he stared at the sky. It was such a nice day to stay in his warm, comfy, fluffy and unmistakably soft bed. Ah, why did the enjoyable time have to pass so soon?

Judal was strolling down the hallway that would eventually lead to his room, deciding that he might as well stay in bed longer to catch some Zs that he had sacrificed due to the early audience.

He wasn't sure if he had shrieked when an unexpected weight crashed into him from behind and he fell, first-face to the cold, merciless ground. He nursed his sore nose and tried to get up but the weight on his back shifted, pressing him back down. He was ready to snap at whoever there that was sitting on him comfortably when he heard the childish giggle.

His frown faded a bit and his heart managed a leap of joy and relief. He allowed his lips to twitch upwards but his frown was still in place.

"Aladdin, welcome back and get off of me! You're heavy!" Judal complained. His demand was met with more chuckle and giggle from the blue haired child.

"No, I don't want to~" The younger sang out and draped his arms around Judal's neck. Shifting, he made himself comfortable on the elder's back and of course made sure that all his weight was thrown onto him.

"Is that so?" Judal asked warningly. Somehow, Aladdin got a really bad feeling about this. That was when Judal pushed himself up with the help of gravity magic. Getting caught off guard, Aladdin released his hold around Judal's neck and hit the ground, hard.

"Hey, what did you do that for?" Aladdin protested.

"That should be my line," Judal said, turning towards the child. "And, what's with those clothes? They looked heavy."

"They are heavy," Aladdin droned, standing up and proceeded to dust himself. "They're gift from the Kouga clan. They insisted that I need them for my long journey. Oh, and I got this staff from them too."

"I see," Judal nodded in understatement and grinned, "It seems like you've met some interesting people."

The younger nodded and beamed with joy before a dark look overtook the joy as he remembered something.

"Anyway, the main thing is…" He trailed off and breathed in deeply. "You cheated!"

Judal flinched at the sudden change in volume.

"What do you mean?" Judal asked. Beads of sweats formed behind his head when he perceived the darkening mood of the child.

"Don't play dumb! You sank the dungeon ten minutes before the limited time!" Aladdin yelled. His palm outstretched as he gathered the Rukh. Judal yelped and raised his hands up in defense whereas Aladdin drawled, "Do tell me why you did that for, big brother."

Judal gulped and backed away from the menacing child.

"That…That's for making me worried for a certain chibi's disappearance before," Judal somehow managed to blurt it all out in a hasty pace but he instantly regretted the words as they bleached his mouth. He could only hope that the child didn't hear his words as clear as he thought.

"Eh?" Damn, luck was not on his side. "You're worried about me?" Aladdin had an amused look on his face and he dispersed the Rukh. Oh, how Judal wished for Aladdin to just blast him away now.

"No, I'm not." Judal whipped his head away from the grinning child. A tint of redness evidenced on his cheeks. With an ever growing grin, Aladdin rounded him to get a better look of the elder's face.

"You're blushing~" Aladdin said in a sing sang tone. That made Judal fumed.

"No, I didn't."

"Yes, you did."

"No."

"Yes."

"Enough!" Judal declared and pounced onto Aladdin, tackling him down. His fingers reached to Aladdin's side and trickled the child. That elicited squeaks and laughter from the child who was attempting to escape from the elder's clutch.

"Fine…I…give...I give up!" Aladdin exclaimed between pants and giggles. Satisfied, Judal stopped his assaults and stared down at the child. Aladdin wiped away the tears from the corner of his eyes as he tried to get up.

"You both are as lively as ever." Aladdin perked up at the voice. Wasting no time at all, he ran to the owner of the voice.

"Brother Kouen!" He greeted. His small arms coiled around the elder's waist.

"Welcome back, Aladdin," Kouen said, patting Aladdin on the head.

*STARE*

Kouen glanced at the side as he felt someone's stare on him. Red eyes swiftly turned away and that made Kouen smirk.

'Why didn't Aladdin greet me that warmly?' Judal grumbled mentally. He could swear he saw flowers blooming in the air around them and it irked him. He must have been pretty obvious about it because Kouen threw a glance towards him. At least, he averted his glance quick enough, or so he thought. Hopefully that Kouen didn't notice that motion.

Unfortunately for Judal, Kouen continued to smirk as he crouched down to allow the child to hug him by the neck. He even returned the embrace by circling his arms around the child. Oh, how priceless Judal's face was now. He didn't have to look to tell that the other was jealous.

"That's enough of a greeting. Come on, chibi," Judal cut in by yanking on Aladdin's braid. The smaller hissed in pain and released his arms from around Kouen's neck but Kouen seemed to be unwilling to let go. Their eyes met and they glared at each other for a second. If you squirmed, you could definitely see the sparks in the air. At a deliberately slow pace, Kouen released his hold on the child, not before giving another pat on the child's head though.

Annoyed further, Judal picked up the child and stormed off.

"You need a bath after the long journey," Judal stated.

Aladdin wriggled to make himself comfortable in his brother's arms. Not forgetting about Kouen, he peeked over Judal's shoulder.

"See you then, brother Kouen! I'll tell you my story later!" he chirped and waved at the elder. Kouen stood up and gave a small wave back. His smirk widened into a smile when he saw the nerve bulging at the priest's temple.

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"Why are you annoyed?" Aladdin asked innocently.

"I'm not" was the weary reply. Judal's hands twitched and he could palpably feel Aladdin's stare on him.

'Don't say anything. Don't say anything,' Judal chanted mentally.

Luckily for him, Aladdin didn't comment on it. Instead, the younger just heaved a sigh and leaned back against Judal's chest. Judal's frown subsided as he felt the warmth on his chest and he took his time to enjoy the comfortable silence they shared.

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It was a good thing that Judal had asked the servants to prepare the bath beforehand, just in case that he would need it afterwards. Dismissing the servants, Judal stepped into the spacious space with the child still in his arms.

"Umm…you can put me down now," Aladdin started. Judal let a smirk cross his face.

"Are you sure?" Judal asked.

"Eh? What…Wait a minute!" Whoops, too late. Aladdin was literally thrown into the water with a splash. Emerging from the surface, he coughed to get the water out of his lungs all the while glaring at the laughing figure in front of him.

Scooping up a handful of water, he launched a surprised attack at the teen. Despite being laughing on the ground, Judal still managed to avoid the water from damping him. As Aladdin prepared another water attack, he paused as images flashed in front of him. Eh? He saw his own hands dipping into the water to bring up the water to throw at a figure that suspiciously resembled Judal. The scenery was different but it felt so real like he had done this before, a long, long time ago.

"Aladdin?" A call brought him out of his stupor. Aladdin blinked once more as the image faded and saw his brother's worried face by the side. He breathed out as an attempt to calm his mind. Glancing at his brother, he immediately frowned when he found that the other was in fact still dry. However, the frown was soon replaced by a wicked smile.

Before Judal could say a word, a huge wave of water grasped him and he was dragged not so gently into the water at an incredibly fast pace. As Judal broke out of the water surface, Aladdin couldn't resist a giggle.

"Now, we're even," Aladdin concluded. Judal sighed. 'Not, now we all needed to take a bath.'

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After the very refreshing bath, Aladdin changed into a robe kindly prepared by one of the servants. Dragging his long blue hair which was still a bit wet behind him, he beamed at Judal who had just finished changing as well.

Deciding that they should go and grab some food first, they walked down the hallway.

"So, so you like your trip outside?" Judal asked.

"Yes, I got the chance to see many things and meet many people. I even had a friend called Alibaba! Oh, and of course I met with sister Hakuei," Aladdin eagerly responded.

"Hakuei?" That earned a nod from the young child.

"Many things happened. Ah! Brother Hakuryuu!" The child suddenly called out. They were passing through the training field and as expected, the said prince was there, resting from his training. He looked up when he heard the call.

"Aladdin?" He gave a call when he saw the familiar blue haired child rushing over. The next moment, he was pulled into a warm embrace. Hakuryuu blinked before letting out a chuckle.

"It has been a long time, Aladdin. Welcome back and may I ask why are your hair unbraided?" The prince questioned. Aladdin released his hug and smiled up at him cutely.

"They are still a bit damp from the bath so I'll braid them later." Seeing the nod of the other, he continued, "More importantly, I missed you and your cooking!"

Hakuryuu gave out a nervous laugh.

"Then, I'll treat you some," he offered.

"Really? Then, off we go!" Aladdin declared, taking Hakuryuu's hand and ran off to where the kitchen was with Judal strolling calmly behind.

"Wait a minute, Aladdin! I can't keep up with you if you run too fast!"

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"Why didn't you offer to cook for me before?" Judal couldn't help but complained to Hakuryuu. The trio was making their ways to the kitchen. Aladdin, as expected, was leading the way in front of them.

Hakuryuu rolled his eyes.

"You always complain about my cooking and now you want me to cook for you? How ironical," Hakuryuu mocked.

"Now, don't be like that. Criticisms help you improve," Judal argued.

"I don't want to hear that from someone who criticises and then gulps down the food all the same," the prince retorted.

"Hey-" Judal was about to voice his protest when Aladdin announced their arrival to the kitchen.

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"I see. So that's what happened back then, huh?" Hakuryuu mumbled as he listened to Aladdin's encounter with Hakuei and of course the revolt that occurred afterwards. Subtly, his grip on the knife tightened and he chopped down another meat with much more force than necessary.

Judal and Aladdin couldn't help but sweatdropped, wondering what exactly the prince was thinking now.

"Anyway, you end him well, right?" Judal asked, glancing at the child who was sipping a glass of juice.

"You mean kill? No, I didn't," Aladdin replied straightforwardly, setting down his glass onto the table. If possible, the force exerted onto the knife just escalated. There was a silence between them, well except for the chopping.

"What did you do instead?" Judal was taken aback actually. It was so unlike Aladdin to spare someone that he found absolutely annoying, judging from how the younger pronounced the name with much disgust.

"I gave him a free lift up into the air but not back down," he said casually. "He may end up with numerous broken bones or ribs. That alone can guarantee that he can no longer be a soldier or wield any weapon."

Now, that made Hakuryuu calm down a bit. His hands skillfully reached for the right ingredients and tools.

"Besides," Aladdin continued, resting his head on his hands as he watched Hakuryuu maneuvered his hands like magic. "It's better that way. That way, he can receive further more punishments for his reckless act."

Judal hummed in agreement and plopped down onto a chair besides Aladdin.

"Thanks, Aladdin for helping my sister," Hakuryuu who had been silent for a while expressed his gratitude.

"Don't mention it," Aladdin replied with a smile. His hands automatically reached for the food presented before him.

"Hey, don't snatch the food! It's still hot!" Hakuryuu yelled. Aladdin pouted but still he obediently withdrew his hands from the delicious-looking food. Ah, what a torture! Judal stifled a laugh when he saw the pouting face of the child. Well, something never changed.

"Aladdin~"

'That voice is…' Judal thought. Almost immediately, Aladdin's back straightened. In less than a second, he dropped down to the floor and rolled into the space under the table. 'Yup, that's definitely him.'

Adjusting the tablecloth so that it covered any possible gaps, Aladdin held his breath as he opted himself to keep silent.

Just then, a figure busted into the kitchen with a full grin.

"Eh? I heard that Aladdin is back…so he is not here, huh? How disappointing…and I'm positively sure that he's here too," the figure sighed out but his grin never faltered.

"Kouha," both Judal and Hakuryuu addressed simultaneously.

"Yeah, what? That's right! Did any of you see Aladdin?" Kouha asked. Judal and Hakuryuu shared a look before they shook their heads.

"It's a pity then and I'm looking forward to play with him too," Kouha whined. His fingers trailed down his hair. "Never mind, I'll just look for him elsewhere. I found something good for him earlier."

And in a flash, he was gone. The duo shared another look before sighing out loud. Pity aroused within them as they knew that what Kouha meant by 'something good' might be the exact opposite, well, for Aladdin anyway.

Speaking about the child, Judal knocked on the table before he whispered, "You can come out now."

Popping his head out from beneath the table, he looked around cautiously to make sure that Kouha had really left now. Well, it seemed that the coast was clear now so he clambered out and let go a breath that he held.

Sitting back onto the chair, he ignored the pity stares with a slight frown on his face. At least, he was gone, for now.

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"What a satisfying meal!" Food was the only thing that enabled Aladdin to shove the thought about Kouha to the back of his mind. It was not that he disliked him. It was just what he did. Ugh, better not think about that.

"So, what do you want to do now, chibi?" Judal questioned. His eyes lidded lazily.

"Anything that has nothing to do with brother Kouha," Aladdin answered. Thanking Hakuryuu for the meal, he got down of his seat.

As soon as they got out of the dining area, a voice sounded, "So, you're here after all."

"What? Above?" Aladdin shrieked when he saw Kouha landed in front of him. Before he could even determine his escape route, Kouha already had him in an iron grip. Aladdin froze for moment there before his senses kicked in and he struggled against the hold of the other.

"Oh no, can't have you escape now," Kouha stated and tightened his grip. "I've found plenty of Kougyoku's old clothes back in the crest I came across. Now, come along, Aladdin. I'm sure they will look good on you."

Aladdin had a look of horror on his face as Kouha dragged him away. He tried to throw silent signals for help towards the pair but they both gave him a look that said, 'Sorry, you're on your own this time. This is Kouha we're dealing with so sorry.'

Aladdin swore he hadn't felt any worse than this before. Oh, how wrong he was…

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Judal sighed. He was getting pretty boring now that Aladdin was sort of roped away by Kouha. Well, taking a stroll didn't sound so bad. So, he did just that.

It took him a few moments to register the fact that he was standing in front of the study where Kouen would often be in. Seeing how bored he was now, maybe he should find someone to speak to. If he was lucky, he might find Koumei as well.

Didn't even bothered to knock, he sneaked in. He was there alright, reading. Oh, Koumei was there too. Judal let a mischievous grin spread across his face and as silently as he could, he crept to Koumei's back.

"Boo," he purred as his hands slammed down onto the other's shoulders with some difficulties, mostly because of the difference in height. Koumei jumped a little and barely bit back a shriek while Kouen remained as composed as usual.

Judal was laughing and teasing about Koumei's reaction when Kouen finally cut in, "Judal, what're you doing here? Where's Aladdin?"

Judal blinked and glanced at Kouen before making a pouting face.

"I'm bored." That was kind of expected. "Aladdin got kidnapped by Kouha so I seriously doubt that he will be back anytime soon."

Kouha? At the mention of the name, both princes sighed out at the same time. He and his weird fetish…Nah, let's not talk about that.

"I see, that explains the screams and shouts I heard earlier," Kouen said and Koumei nodded by the side. Poor Aladdin, he might need some rest later. That was all they could offer for the child who was still, in fact suffering in the clutches of the devil.

Then, a sudden sound was heard by the door and the door was thrown open in the next moment. A mixture of blue, red and pink bundle was all they could get a glimpse of as the bundle crashed into Judal's back.

Judal whipped his head to get a better look at the newcomer. Staring down, he could see a familiar blue hair and a pair of teary eyes. Kouen and Koumei too stared in confusion at the sudden arrival of the child.

"A-Aladdin?" He managed to choke out. The child's face was slightly red from embarrassment. Before he could say anything though, Aladdin's ears expertly picked up the sounds of footsteps outside. He gave out a small yelp before diving to the back of Kouen's chair, using it as a cover for him.

The occupants of the study looked on. Their gazes fixed by the opened door. After a few moments that felt like centuries, two figures emerged by the doorway.

"Hey, En!" Kouha greeted. "Have you seen Aladdin? He slipped away when I asked for some hair ornaments from Kougyoku."

Standing beside Kouha, Kougyoku gave a small smile that somehow didn't look as innocent as it should. Kouen could feel the child tensing behind him and he spared a glance at him. Wrong move. Kouha followed Kouen's glance and jackpot! His grin widened and he went as quietly and swiftly as he could before any of them managed to warn the child.

"Got you!" He exclaimed as his hands trapped the child. Aladdin let out a squeak as he was hoisted up by Kouha. He squirmed around to wriggle out of the grip but his attempts were futile. Kougyoku beamed at the sight of Aladdin while Judal groaned and sent an accusing look at Kouen. 'It's your fault, you know?'

Knowing full well what it meant, Kouen felt a tinge of guilt in his chest and interrupted, "Let's go outside."

"Huh?"

"It's a nice and pleasant day. Let's take a break outside and Aladdin, you can tell us your adventure these past few weeks."

"Eh?"

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Judal had no idea how Kouen did it. He glanced at the struggling blue haired child from before who was now sitting obediently between Kouha and Kougyoku as they worked with his hair. Still, he had to admit that this was the only time that Kouha and Kougyoku seemed to get along. They normally didn't even talk much.

Now that they were out in the open, Judal could see perfectly clear what Aladdin was forced to be wearing. Hmm, it was a long dress similar to what Kougyoku was wearing which was made of expensive silk. The pink and red along with the black that overlapped one another was lovely but for a boy…Let's skip that fact for now…

As Aladdin told the story about his adventure, Judal could see that he had become less tense now. By diverting his attention from the fingers lacing through his hair, the child was able to smile freely though a tug from now and then would remind him about the pair but he was, at the very least more relaxed.

It was both an amazing and terrifying ability of Aladdin to speak and smile; the way he acted as glue for the Ren family, sticking them together. Even Hakuryuu who rarely mixed with the other royal members except for Hakuei stopped by to listen. It had been a while since they all stayed together like this without taunting or arguing or teasing each other. Just peacefully like this.

That was when Judal noticed it; the change in Aladdin's Rukh. The air around him was somewhat softer and tenderer, less of the dark and cold feeling from before. He couldn't help but like this change though in truth he should have been annoyed by it. Could this be the influence of that blonde haired teen? What was his name again? Never mind. The most important thing now was that Aladdin was here safe and sound.

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Aladdin collapsed almost immediately onto his bed that night. Awfully tired were the words to summarize how he was feeling right now but he had to push himself up no matter how tempting the pillows looked.

He had finished changing. Those dresses were always unbearably hot and long and not to mention how they got in the way with each little movement. How could Kougyoku move so well in them anyway?

He looked across the room. His eyes finally stayed on the shelves. Numerous of books with various thicknesses lied along with scrolls that were neatly piled beside them. He let his legs drag himself to the desk first and lit a lamp that brightened the once dim room.

Setting down the lamp beside him cautiously, he scanned through the shelves. His eyes dimmed a bit when he took notice of a book that he rarely touched; a book about healing magic. A vision of the kind hearted elder back at the Kouga Clan flashed through his mind and subconsciously, he pulled out the book.

He situated the chair and settled himself on it with the book and the lamp in his hands. He placed the lamp on the desk before he flipped open the book. His eyes took in every word he seen and his fingers ghosted over the diagrams.

His head snapped up when he heard the door creaking. Instantly, he slammed the book shut. The door opened and revealed a figure as well as a pair of red eyes that belonged to none other than Judal. Aladdin suppressed a sigh. 'Rude as always…'

"What're you doing?" was the first thing that breached the elder's lips.

"Reading," Aladdin replied and reopened the book that he had set down on his laps in a hurry. He ignored the light footsteps as the elder crept behind him, draping his arms onto his shoulders.

"Eh? A book about healing magic? I thought you don't like thing like that; troublesome and requires quite an amount of procedures and time," Judal voiced from behind as he peeked at the content of the book over the younger's shoulder.

"Yes, I still don't fancy them…but at least they save instead of destroy," Aladdin whispered the last part quietly and Judal raised an eyebrow at that.

Gracefully, Judal flipped over the chair to land before the child. Aladdin had to tilt his head backward a little to avoid Judal's careless flip though his eyes stayed on the book.

"Hey, Aladdin?" Judal called. Aladdin gave a small nod that indicated that he heard him. "You changed."

It wasn't a question but a statement. Finally, Aladdin's gaze left the book and he stared right into his brother's eyes. He waited patiently for Judal to continue as he was sure he would, eventually.

"The air around you is less tense and you seem to smile more now," Judal said, tapping on his chin and going through a mental list in case he had missed anything. Aladdin blinked.

"I thought I used to smile often too," Aladdin deadpanned.

"No and yes, you smile but the smile you shown now is more sincere and kinder," the elder stated, couching down to get a better look at the child.

"Is that a bad thing?" Oh no, Judal hated it when he made that face. It was unfair to be so damn adorable and loveable.

'Calm down,' he mentally shouted. He would never admit it but he missed the child. As an attempt to calm down, he set his head onto the sitting child's laps. "No. It's nice to see you like that."

Aladdin shifted at the sudden weight on his laps but he made no move to shove it away or simply get rid of it. Instead, he put down the book back onto the desk. He could always read it the next day, right? He gave Judal's hair a playful tug.

"Get off, I can't sleep if you lay there all night," Aladdin droned. He was tired, really tired now.

"No, I don't want to. I'm comfortable like this," Judal stubbornly said.

"But I'm not."

"Still, no," Judal insisted. Aladdin sighed and tried to get him away which didn't involve any form of violence, at least not yet. Finally, Aladdin lied back onto his chair with a defeated sigh. "Suit yourself."

Judal made a happy noise under his breath and laid his head in a more comfortable way. His eyes lidded as he stared up at Aladdin.

"Hey, big brother, I think I remembered something from a long time ago," Aladdin began. His hands moved to his flute that was hung around his neck.

"Hmm?" Judal sounded. That was when a melody was heard, carefully knitted by Aladdin's fingers. The notes were soft and hesitant at first, but it gradually grew stronger as Aladdin got a hand on it. The melody was the very same lullaby Aladdin recalled hearing in the strange dream.

Upon hearing the nostalgic melody, Judal detached his head from Aladdin's laps and simply closed his eyes. It was soothing and calm. The melody filled the silence of the night and travelled in the night air.

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Kouen was working through another report when the wind greeted him, carrying along a melody. He raised his head and looked up into the night sky.

"This is…"

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It was late in the night and Kouha knew it. However, who cared about little details like those? He was currently dragging Koumei along with him to grab a sneak from the kitchen.

Engaging in another tug of war against Koumei, they both paused momentarily when a sudden melody rang through the air and they glanced upward into the night sky.

"Melody?"

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After wiping his spear clean, Hakuryuu stared at the night sky. His thought wondered to her sister. How was she now? Was she doing just fine? He was already getting stressed with just thinking about the endless possibilities of dangers and troubles that might get in her way.

He peeked up when he heard it; a soft melody that sounded like a whisper. Leaning backwards, he felt a lot calmer.

"This sounds like…"

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It wasn't any different from the usual, really. Koubun Ka had to admit that when he heard Kougyoku talked about how cute the blue haired magi was. He reminded her to behave more princess-like and the only response he got was a pout before she continued with whatever she was going on now.

"Huh?" The princess grew silent all of the sudden as she gave a glance to the moon outside. As the silence stretched, Koubun could grasp what had gotten the princess' attention as a tune came quietly.

"Isn't it…" he trailed off.

"Aladdin's flute," Kougyoku completed his sentence and the pair looked up into the sky.

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It was a melody that depicted sadness yet hope. It told about life, about joy and about sorrow. It was amazing how a simple melody without lyrics could touch the heart of many. Judal certainly thought so when he listened closely to every note of the song he barely remembered.

As the last note faded away, Judal's eyes snapped open and he felt something foreign for him; tears that were pooling his eyes and he didn't even know why they gathered. His vision was blurred by them and his hands came up to wipe away them.

Aladdin was still sitting on the chair, eying the flute with a longing look. He was almost taken aback by the emotion Judal shown. For the longest time, he had never seen him cry before except for a few times that Aladdin knew were all faked. That just proved how significant this simple melody was; a forgotten lullaby but why did they forget it when it was so important and valuable for them?

"That song…"Judal suddenly spoke from his seat on the ground. "It was said to be able to bring others together, even when they are far away from each other, it will always bring their hearts and souls together."

"Do you think that it has brought the others together?" Aladdin asked, getting up of his seat and trotted to his bed. Judal followed.

"I think it did. I have a strange feeling that it did," Judal answered, throwing the blanket over Aladdin's small frame as the child lied down onto his bed.

"Yes…I felt so as well…" Aladdin agreed. His eyes felt heavy.

"Well, sleep for now. Goodnight then, Aladdin," Judal said, ready to make his way to the door when a tug was felt. He turned back to look at the obviously sleepy child.

"What's the matter?"

"Can you…stay here? I don't…want to be alone," Aladdin whispered. Judal sighed in irritation but his mind did the exact opposite.

"Fine," he tried to sound more irritated but even he had a feeling that he failed miserably on that. Aladdin wriggled to make a space for Judal. The elder slipped beneath the blanket to lie besides the child. "Satisfied? Now, sleep."

Aladdin made a noise that sounded like a protest before he gave in to the tiredness. Just before he drifted into the dream world, he let out, "Why…did we forget the song along with…many…memories from…before? It seems…that they…the organization…is hiding something from…us."

With a yawn, he left those words and finally dozed off, burying his head into the crook of the elder's neck. Meanwhile, Judal was baffled by Aladdin's words. Came to think of it, it really did make sense but that didn't matter for now.

"Don't worry, Aladdin. I'll definitely protect you no matter what," he whispered to the sleeping child and with a swift wave, the lamp extinguished. Pulling the child into a warm embrace, he placed his head onto the child's and he too surrendered to sleepiness with Aladdin's warmth in his arms.

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"I'll protect you no matter what."


	9. Chapter 9 : Fanalis, the Warrior Tribe

**Chapter 9 : Fanalis, the Warrior Tribe**

_Every parting is a form of death, as every reunion is a type of heaven._ **Tryon Edwards**

~6 month later~

To be able to sleep in the warmth of the blanket and the softness of the bed was one of the best things in the world. Judal certainly agreed with that. However, sadly, all these good times were either too short or often interrupted.

He was positively sure that he was in the bed just a second ago. He felt quite strange now without the fluffy bed under him plus the chilling wind that had been attacking endlessly for a while now. Wait…

"What's this?" He bellowed when he opened his eyes, only to find that he was nowhere near his bed. Screw that, he was not even close to the ground. Ground? Realization sank in a little bit too late and he was sent diving down from his earlier spot in the midair.

He was fully awake now, feeling the wind rush through his hair as he fell from what seemed to be like a few hundreds meter from the ground. He gave a slight glance at the ground and his eyes went wide. He scrambled to activate his gravity magic. Fortunately, he was able to make it in time before he clashed into the icy pond.

He sighed in relief as he floated just a few inches away from the water. Annoyed by the rude morning call, he balanced himself so that he could stand properly in the air. His eyes scanned the area.

"Aladdin," he groaned, knowing full well that the child was the culprit behind this. "Come out this instant."

No response. Judal blinked. He waited and waited but still none. Glancing here and there, Judal tried to find the familiar silhouette of the child but it was nowhere to be seen. Straightening his back, he became alarmed. Something was not right. It never did take long for Aladdin to show himself so what was wrong?

His pondering was interrupted as he barely had enough time to dodge the flame that came suddenly charging at him from the back. He leapt higher into the air but the ball of flame followed closely.

"Damn," Judal cursed. He was preparing to cast a water magic upon the incoming flame when a strong wind slammed into him from behind. Caught off guard, he accidentally dispersed his gravity magic and fell directly into the pond.

He inhaled deeply when he clambered out of the cold liquid. His body was shivering from the coldness of the water. He whipped away the lank bang from the front of his eyes before rubbing his eyes to clear his vision. His frown deepened when he heard the playful giggle.

"Aladdin," Judal growled. The child was in front of him within second, laughing and giggling at the state Judal was in.

"So?" Aladdin drawled. Judal tried to stop his teeth from chattering as a result to the freezing temperature. Aladdin seemed to notice this and a meager amount of pity aroused within him. He raised the staff into the air to form small fireballs before he dispatched them to surround the elder. That at the very least helped to warm him up a little.

Judal gave a sigh in defeat. "Fine, fine, I'll go with you to Qishan, satisfied?"

Aladdin flashed a huge smile and cheered while Judal scratched the back of his head lazily. His fingers laced through his damp hair and he began to wonder, since when had he been suffering from Aladdin's endless pranks? He did some calculations and finally came to a conclusion; about six months ago, all for the sake of dragging him together to meet his blonde friend.

"At least let me change into something less damp," Judal said and Aladdin happily helped him to stand and gave him a shove into his room. Judal's head bumped against the floor as he was sent flying into his room. He should have felt a whole lot more annoyed but the enthusiasm from the eager child was enough to make him smile; even though it was only a slight curve at the corner of his lips.

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"Buy them fast, buy them now! We've got fresh Hami melons, white apricots and dates! All rarities not found in this town!" A blonde haired lady was promoting the good while another black haired lady was handling out the sold good to the customers with mutter of thanks and a kind smile.

"Sahsa, our next batch still isn't here?" The blonde asked. "At this rate, we're going to sell out before we can restock!"

"Leila, don't worry. She'll be back with it at any moment now," Sahsa assured her. Her eyes glittered when she took notice of the bright red hair. "Look!"

Leila followed Sahsa's glance and a smile broke through her face. Waving at the approaching figure, she said, "I'm so glad you joined our caravan, Morgiana!"

"I see," Morgiana replied nonchalantly, holding onto a large amount of good with her bare hands while the people on the street looked with awe.

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"Wow! Hey! Watch where you're going!" Judal exclaimed as he dodged another rock and branch. It was probably the worst idea to travel on Aladdin's magic turban instead of his own, especially when the one in control was not him but the child. Aladdin only let out a giggle as he sped through the sky.

"You're exceeding the speed limit!" Judal screamed, clutching onto the edge of the turban. Aladdin just laughed it off.

"Don't speak nonsense, there's no such thing as speed limit in the sky! And I thought you like it when we travel in full speed!" Aladdin chirped.

"Not when you're not watching where you're going!" The elder argued. Judal was sure that he would end up with a heart attack when he finally got off the cloth. He spared a glance to the front. Oh, how wrong was that…

"WATCH OUT!"

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Morgiana was really grateful to have the chance to meet with these kind people though she had to apologize for her reckless action which involved jumping right in front of the caravan when she had heard that they were headed to Balbadd. Both Leila and Sahsa were kind enough to take in a complete stranger like her. They even offered her to stay with them after Balbadd but she knew she couldn't. She had a promise to fulfil, which was to return to her homeland; a place she had longed for since a long time ago.

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Days later, they had reached a city. Somehow, the atmosphere there was not as lively as Leila remembered. The once busy street was near empty except some random people sitting on the floor or leaning against the wall.

"What's going on?" Leila asked a man who was passing by.

"Rouge thieves have invaded our city because of the internal strife in Balbadd," he stated. "I suggest you guys get out of here as quickly as you can too."

"Leila…" Sahsa trailed off, worry about their safety.

"There's no reason to fear a few rouge thieves! Let's do business as usual!" She did her best to ease Sahsa. As she turned to walk away, she accidentally bumped into someone.

"Watch where you're going!" Leila yelled, hissing in pain. She wanted to demand some apologies but she halted her tongue when she saw man she knocked into.

"My, what a vulgar little girl," the man commented before pulling the chain coiled around his hand to drag the slave forward. The slaves followed behind the man helplessly. They looked untidy and weary. The chain and shackles which bounded them left bruises on their neck, hands and ankles as they continued to be dragged harshly.

Morgiana stared in shock. The clinking of the chain against the ground was painfully familiar to her and that sparked off some unwanted memories from the past.

"A slave merchant…" Leila began. Behind her, Sahsa frowned.

"Those poor people. Why is a practice like slavery allowed?" She said and Morgiana couldn't agree more.

'Why? Why do people enslave others?' Morgiana thought, biting her lower lip as she stared at the retreating figure of the slaves.

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It was already night time when they settled down for a place to stay. Morgiana sat outside. Her mind drifted as she looked into the night sky. Cautiously, she reached out to touch the marks left on her ankle; the hated marks that indicated she was a slave before. She could only wish that the marks would hurry up and disappear, wiping away the past with them.

Involuntarily, she began to recall the times when she ran to escape the fate of slavery. No matter how fast she fled, he would always catch up to her. He would always find her. It was like there was no place for her to hide and nowhere for her to run to.

"You're a very bad girl, Morgiana. Did you really think you could run away from me? No matter how far you run, you'll always be my slave. I'll keep you chained forever." Those words were haunting, madly resounding in her mind. The blade he held shone in the darkness and she screamed for help, struggling against the cold metals around her limps. It hurt to move.

"No…Someone, save me! Please!"

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Morgiana gasped. She panted as drops of sweat crawled down. When had she fallen asleep? She couldn't even remember. Endeavouring to calm herself, she breathed in slowly.

"Are you alright?" From her side, a concerned voice sounded. She glanced to her right to find Leila staring at her. "You're making noises in your sleep."

Morgiana whispered a small apology and explained that it was nothing but a nightmare. Leila casted aside the blanket, saying that she had a good herbal remedy for that. Morgiana stared at her as she went for her bag to retrieve the item. Her heart was a lot calmer now and she rose from her lying position to give her earnest gratitude to Leila.

"It's fine," Leila quickly stated before resuming her previous motion as she dug deep into her bag. "We're friends journeying together on a caravan. And besides, I'm not much different from you. I was picked up by this caravan too."

"Huh?" Morgiana sounded. Just then, Leila finally found the item she was looking for and held it out for Morgiana.

"To put it in your words, my 'benefactor' is Sahsa. She found me collapsed in the desert and saved me," Leila continued. "Her and a mysterious young boy."

"Mysterious young boy?" Morgiana perked up when she heard that. It couldn't be him, right?

"Um," Leila nodded. "I never really have the chance to thank him properly though. He just left a note and was gone by the time I woke up. I doubt you'd believed me even if I told you!"

"But the point is I'm only here because of the help I've received from so many different people," she uttered and her determination flared, "That's why it's my turn to protect them now."

"Thanks." Another voice joined in and immediately Leila stuttered.

"What? You're listening?" Leila asked.

"I didn't hear anything I didn't know already. You're sweet, Leila," Shasa said, making Leila blush. They soon engaged in banter and Morgiana watched the playful exchange between the two with a small smile on her face.

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"It's your fault, you know…" Aladdin grumbled. They had somehow miraculously made it to Qishan safely, well as safe as one could be on a speeding ride. However, they couldn't find Alibaba. It seemed that he had already left six months ago.

"Why is it my fault that whatever-baba isn't here?" Judal voiced his protest from the side. He was still a bit shaky from the ride. How did he survive again? Never mind.

"Well, we'll have to go to Balbadd now," Aladdin pouted before his eyes glittered almost sinisterly.

"What? I guess that's fine," Judal stated, lying down onto the cloth. Then, almost instantly, he shot up. "No, I mean wait!"

It was too late now as the child clapped and the cloth once again sped through the sky.

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"What? We're not going to Balbadd?" Morgiana asked in disbelief.

"A band of thieves has set up camp on the only road leading into Balbadd. We've decided to take a different path," The leader reasoned. His hand traced through the road on the map. "You're aiming to go to Balbadd in order to return to your homeland, right?"

"Yes," Morgiana replied. She couldn't help but felt a bit disappointed. "The ships that will take me home leave only from Balbadd."

"Are there no other routes you can take? Where is your homeland?" He asked, trying to be helpful for the young lady. Seeing that Morgiana refused to say anything about it, he understood the hidden message within and so he didn't press any further.

"The band of thieves is rumoured to be extremely vicious and cruel. They assaulted my friend's caravan and many caravan members lost their lives. We cannot take that path. I'm sorry," the old man apologised.

"But what if…"

"Yes?"

"If someone were to defeat those thieves, then the path would be opened once again, right?" That did it. Those thieves just made things personal.

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"What do you think? It's a perfect fortress, right?" The slave merchant from earlier was currently relaxing in the fortress while another man with an eye patch over his left eye expressed his satisfaction about the fortress to the slave merchant, Fatima.

"Thieves and slave traders are a perfect combo. We need to help each other out! This fortress is seriously perfect. The guards are always so bored because no one can get in!"

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Morgiana pushed herself up skilfully, manoeuvring her powerful legs as she reached to the top of the fortress. Peering down from there, she could see the thieves gathering by little campfires, chatting and laughing as they celebrated yet another success in thieving.

She gave one last glance at them before she jumped from the top to land near the middle of the den of the thieves.

"Excuse me, thieves. I have something to ask all of you," she announced, gaining the attentions of the thieves. "Would you please leave this area?"

"What did you say, missy?"

"Please leave here," she repeated. Her voice was flat and stern. "No one is able to use this path because of your presence here. If you'll not go, I will forcibly evacuate you."

The thieves, of course did not take the girl seriously. Who would? After all, she was just a mere child and she wished to forcibly 'evacuate' them? What a joke! They laughed.

"Those are big words coming from such a small girl. Why don't you try 'evacuating' me?" A rather large and bulky man mocked. He leaned down to face Morgiana with his big and ugly face. Thinking that now was probably the best time to do something, Morgiana threw a punch to the man. He collapsed to the ground as an after effect of the inhuman punch. There was a pregnant silence among the thieves before they flew into rage.

"You punk!" All of them began to arm themselves with various types of weapons and Morgiana watched with uninterested eyes. Well, time to get to work.

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"What's this? It's quite noisy outside tonight." Fatima, the slave trader glanced over his shoulder, wondering what might have occurred down there. Standing by the window, he gasped at the sight of a single girl taking down the horde of thieves. Her kicks were accurate and powerful whereas her punches were merciless and strong. What caught his eyes the most was the bright red hair that stood out even under the moon.

"Her red hair! Her powerful legs! Her feral fighting style! She must be one of them! The rulers of the Dark Continent, the powerful warrior tribe, the Fanalis!" He muttered to himself as he watched the girl danced through the thieves.

"Hey chief, I want that girl. Can I take her?" He had decided. He wanted the girl.

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'This must be the last one…hopefully,' Morgiana thought as she stared down at the frightful figure.

"Where is your leader?" She asked. Just then, she felt the air behind her shift and she scarcely had time to dodge when a flying creature whooshed past her though. Whatever the creature was, it was fast and she got a cut on her arm from the sharp claws of the creature.

The creature let out a cry before returned to its master's side.

"Impressive. You were able to dodge its attack. I'm so glad to meet you, girl of Fanalis," The man that appeared out of nowhere said. Covering her wounds with her hand, she glared up at the man.

"Are you the leader of this band of thieves?"

"Oh no! Don't lump me in with the likes of them. I'm a slave trader," he declared proudly. Morgiana jerked when she recalled the man as the same one Leila had bumped into yesterday. Eh? How strange. She had been feeling dizzier as the time passed by.

"If you're not the leader, then get him. Or else!" She threatened through gritted teeth.

"Or else?" The man parroted.

"Or else, I'll…" She never got to finish her sentence though as her vision swayed and blurred. Before she lost conscious completely, she could hear the man's annoying voice, saying that something was finally taking effect. No! It couldn't be! It was poison?

"This is a desert crow. Its claws hold poison powerful enough to fell a bull." Now, that explained it. Without another word, she sank to the ground.

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She could perceive darkness. Her hands that firmly covered her face as the whip was brought down again and again until her arms grew numb and bled.

"Does it hurt? That's what you get for trying to run away from me! You're a slave! As long as you wear those chains, you will never be able to escape!"

'How many times? How many times did you want to torture me with your words?'

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"No, stop…Save me." A finger that brushed against her eyelashes was what brought her back to consciousness. She hurried to open her eyes, only to find a small girl with worried looks in her eyes, asking if she was okay.

"My name's Nadja. I used to be live in Balbadd with my mommy and daddy but I was caught by a scary man," the child introduced herself.

"I see," Morgiana mumbled, her hands reached down to touch the shackles, testing them. These shackles were strong. That was the conclusion she came to. Maybe they were specially designed to trap Fanalis. That guess alone made her blood boil.

"Miss? What's going to happen to us?" The girl asked, snapping her out of her musing.

"We'll be forced into slavery. The ones who caught us are slave traders. Therefore, if we stay here, we'll be sold as slaves," Morgiana went on to explain how they would be taken to a slave auction where they would be forced to strip naked and watch as people betted on them, how they wold be sold off to some unknown land to be forced to work the rest of the lives in chains.

Ah, she overdid it a little. The girl was sobbing and crying for her parents. Seeing the sight of the crying girl reminded her of her past when she stood in the auction, crying for her parents. She remembered no matter how hard she cried no one came for her.

Subconsciously, her hands moved and landed on the girl's shoulder. The girl looked up and she removed her hand in a hurry, realizing what she had done.

"I-I-It's okay," she stuttered, putting her hand up in a form of promise. "Don't worry, you won't become a slave. I'll find a way to escape from here. When I do, I'll take you and your parents with me."

"Really?" Nadja had stopped crying now and was currently looking at Morgiana with watery eyes.

"Really, I'll definitely save you. You won't have to be a slave. Please trust me," she convinced the child with a smile on her face and Nadja now feeling better hugged Morgiana by her waist. Morgiana smiled at the child and smoothed Nadja's hair. Now, if only it was as easy as she had just said. No matter, she would definitely think of something.

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"Morgiana! Morgiana!" Leila's yell could be heard throughout the building. "I can't find her anywhere! Do you think she went to Balbadd by herself?"

"But what about the band of thieves blocking the way?" Sahsa began to worry. Leila muttered a curse before rushing out to help her.

"Wait!" The leader, Sahsa's father stopped Leila.

"Why are you stopping me? Our friend could be in danger right this minute!" She paused when she saw the armed men in the hall.

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Morgiana woke up to find a comfortable weight on her. She glanced down. Her eyes went wide as she saw Nadja's flushed face. Touching her forehead, she let out a gasp of how hot it felt and moved to the iron bars to call for help. Hopefully, help came or so she thought.

"My, her tongue is swollen all the way up to her tonsils. She's no good." Morgiana stared in confusion at Fatima's last statement. "But talk about perfect timing. The desert hyenas just ran out of food."

What?

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Leila was currently preparing to save Morgiana along with the others who were believed to be the leader's friends despite the leader's opposition. She rushed her way up only to bump into a figure. Ouch! Talked about bumping into people often…

"Whoops, I'm sorry, miss."

'That voice, can it be?' Leila wondered. Her eyes met with the other's blue ones and she gaped in shock.

"Aladdin?" She never expected to meet him again out of blue like this. The said child took a moment to study her before he grinned.

"You're the lady from before!" Aladdin gushed happily. Behind him, Judal stared at them while biting away another apple. Aladdin tilted his head as he sensed the tense atmosphere.

"Did something happen?" He asked. "You look worried."

Realizing that she still had more important thing to take care of, she scrambled to prepare the houses, not before giving Aladdin a briefing about the situation though.

Blinking, Aladdin tilted his head back to bump on Judal's chest. The elder hummed in response.

"It seems like it's a good idea to stop by after all," Judal muttered smugly even though it was just an excuse for a break from the terrifying ride.

"That depends," Aladdin whispered out. They could have some fun, for now.

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Morgiana struggled against the strong hold of those men. This was bad. Nadja was in danger. She glared up at the slave trader that dared to call himself a human when he voice his disbelief in providing treatment for low-grade slaves, telling her that it was just not worth the money.

She watched in horror as the rope held by him was released. Nadja fell with a scream before she stopped a few metres from the ground. The hyenas jumped to bite the girl and she yelped in fear. Damn it! She promised she would save her!

She slammed the shackles to the ground but no matter what they wouldn't break. They wouldn't break. The longer the fact dwelled within her, the more she thought of her inability to save her, to escape the fate of being chained. What was the use of having such strength when her fate was to be locked for eternity?

"It's pointless. You'll never be able to get rid of your chains. They'll be there for life!" The haunted voice resounded and tears began to gather.

"Is that true, Morgiana?" Her eyes widened. Who's there? She looked around. "Is that the extent of your power? You can't even break one pair of leg shackles?"

The Rukh flew and Morgiana followed their movement. In the light of the Sun, she saw him; he benefactor, Goltas.

"You should already be free from your chains, Morgiana. You're no longer the slave you were in the past. You've been freed. There's nothing left tying you down except your own fear of the past and those chains are easily broken with a blade of courage."

The knife went through the rope and Nadja landed among the hungry beasts. Morgiana steeled her resolve and she leaped, accompanied by the voice of her benefactor. Yes, there was nothing left in this world to chain her down. She was freed a long time ago. She could do whatever she wanted. Nothing would trap her any longer.

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"Ah, this is…" Aladdin looked to the direction of the fortress as he felt the Rukh flutter.

"What's what, chibi?" Judal questioned from behind. Aladdin let a soft smile grace his feature when he understood the flow of the Rukh.

"It's nothing, just someone paying a visit to a fellow co-worker from the past."

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Followed by her leap, she landed hard, slamming the shackles onto the iron which was a part of the cage. Upon contact with one another, the shackles broke apart. She inhaled deeply before she let out a high-pitched scream to intimidate the beasts. The hyenas stepped back and retreated while Morgiana stood and broke the chain around her wrists.

"It's all okay now," she comforted Nadja as she loosened the rope. "Hurry, let's leave this place."

Nadja overwhelmed by happiness and relief hugged Morgiana tightly. The slave trader saw this and decided to make things harder for them.

"Release them all! Everything we have prepared for auction!" He commanded. His command was followed by a series of gate opening and several beasts marched their ways out of the stuffy cage. Their eyes shone with hunger and wildness, towering over the pair.

"These are the infamous Maurenian Saber-Tooth Tigers. Be careful now, a slight graze from their fangs or their claws means instant death!" He warned.

"Miss…" Nadja was about to cry again, seeing the beasts that threatened to tear them into pieces.

"Don't worry about a thing," Morgiana said confidently. Placing a few pats on the girl, she turned and faced the tigers with her eyes hard and firm. Yes, everything would be fine. She steadied herself and lunged at the beasts, slamming her legs into them.

Her body felt light and she could move faster and faster than anyone. Her legs and body were faster, sharper and stronger than anyone else's. She grabbed the last tiger and did her work, breaking away its fangs as it breathed its last. She knew better than anyone else; the fact that she was a Fanalis, one of the rulers of the Dark Continent and one of the strongest warrior tribes.

Fatima's underlings who witnessed the inhuman display of strength ran away, abandoning their leader in the process. Fatima gritted his teeth in anger but could do nothing except falling down pathetically when Morgiana appeared before him after taking one of her great leap.

"I give up," he surrendered. "I make a mistake as a slave hunter when I captured you. It's only natural if you want to kill me."

Morgiana ignored his talk, instead she held out her hand. "Give me the keys."

"What?"

"I'm going to free all the people you have captured," she elaborated. The man before her grew angry.

"What? Do you feel bad for them? Even though you're no better than a slave yourself!" He shrieked. Morgiana's eyes narrowed and her gaze was hard on him.

"I'm no longer a slave."

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A kick was all it took to break the door. The people behind it whispered and muttered among themselves, wondering who or what had come this time.

"What's going on? Who are you?"

"Please leave this place. Here are the keys," she declared and tossed the bag filled with various sizes of keys into the cage. The people all voiced their joy and proceeded to search through the bag for the key that would fit their respective shackles.

"Nadja!" A yell from the crowd gained Morgiana's and the said girl's attention. At the sight of the couple, Nadja cried the tear of joy.

"Mommy! Daddy!"

"Nadja!" The mother came rushing and had her child in her arms within seconds.

"She needs medicine," Morgiana said. The father nodded and asked for the medicines. Morgiana scanned around. The people were all smiling for they were finally released. She couldn't help but smile along. However, her smile didn't last long when he heard the yells of command from above. This wasn't good. She was preparing to take care of whoever that was getting down here when she heard the screams and shouts for help from the same direction. What was happening?

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"Help!" A man screamed when the others scrambled to every direction. Despite their effort to run away, they were still unfortunately, or should I said fortunately been devoured into a large tornado that hoisted them up into the sky.

"It's less entertaining this way but it's a good thing that this actually saved some time," Aladdin stated dully from above while his fingers twisted and turned to manipulate the tornado. Judal muttered something incoherent from the back before he decided to join in the fun, creating another tornado as it circled the fortress to clean up anything that Aladdin might miss.

"Say, chibi," Judal spoke suddenly. Aladdin gave a small kick towards Judal at the mention of the nickname. Anticipated the move, Judal leaped away just in time and resumed his sentence as if nothing had happened. "I'll head to Balbadd first. You know, accommodation and such. Besides, I think that the old man has some business there though any place is better than that palace, rotten and reeked with greed. And I know you have pretty much catching up to do with those people."

Aladdin hummed in agreement as he dispersed the tornados.

"And I'm definitely not going to ride on your magic cloth next time," Judal said in a bored tone.

"Suit yourself," Aladdin scoffed and in a blink of the eye, Judal was gone.

"And he said that I'm the one who sped," Alddin muttered with a roll of his eyes. Spotting the bright red hair that emerged, he smiled. Well, Judal was right for one thing. There was much catching up to do.

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An army of men was riding on their horses as they charged to the rescue. Dusts were flying everywhere and the ground sang.

"I owe you! Thank you for hiring mercenaries to help bring back one of my own," A man with a scar across his left eye said.

"I could never abandon a friend's caravan," the leader replied. His attention was soon averted to the pair that was riding behind him. "What are you doing, Leila! Sahsa! I told you two to wait at the inn!"

"As if we could do that! Morgiana could be in trouble!" was Leila reply. They were approaching the fortress when they saw the tornados dying away and faintly a flash of blue in the air.

"Don't worry! He's on our side!"

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"Ah, you're the bright haired lady from before!" Aladdin exclaimed when he got off of his transport.

"You're…the boy from that time," Morgiana gasped. Her eyes roved over the damage of the fortress before focusing onto the young boy.

"Aladdin!" A call from afar was heard and they whipped their heads towards the source. Leila and Sahsa were waving enthusiastically at them while the others cheered in unison when they saw their comrades and friends were all safe.

"What's with that disappearing act you pulled back then?" Leila complained, giving the child a weak punch on the head. "I didn't even get to thank you for what you did before, so thanks."

"No problem," Aladdin replied with a childish grin. "By the way, you're blushing~"

"Eh? I'm not!" Leila shouted. That only made her blush deepened a few shades.

"Yes, you're!" Sahsa decided to join in the fun.

"Not you too, Sahsa!" Leila exclaimed. Morgiana showed a soft smile at them.

"So that mysterious boy was Aladdin after all," Morgiana concluded.

"I met them in the village I was in before I met Alibaba," Aladdin provided helpfully.

"I'm surprised you know him too, Morgiana! What a coincidence!" Sahsa said.

"It's not a coincidence. Travels will reunite old friends from near and far," Sahsa's father said by the side as he overheard their conversation. Aladdin couldn't deny that.

Now that the thieves were taken care of, they could finally go to Balbadd. When Aladdin heard that Morgiana was heading for Balbadd as well, he offered her to travel together. This way he could have more fun than travel alone.

"The person I'm looking for is not in Qishan, so I'll head to Balbadd to find him," Aladdin uttered in his ever cheerful tone.

"Is that person Alibaba?" Her question was met with a nod and she took his offer to travel together towards Balbadd.

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That night they had a huge celebration. People were laughing, joking and chatting while some others performed for them. They had a great laugh and joyous reunion with their families and friends.

Across the hall, Aladdin watched them with a smile. Being in a crowd was something that he wasn't used to yet so he preferred to have some time alone by the side. That was when he saw Morgiana who was sitting alone too. Having a talk with someone didn't sound half bad right now so he skipped to her side and sat down beside her.

"You know, everything in the world is actually connected. That means that even if we get separated, we'll never be alone. The bonds we have with those close to us kept us connected always." Judal would probably tease him for being so sentimental but that didn't matter now. Maybe, he had grown a bit wiser due to the trips outside and maybe a little bit softer too. Was it a bad thing that he wanted to remain like this? To be able to find a reason to smile and to do something other than destroy? It was as if a light had sliced through the eternal darkness he engulfed himself with. Through light, he found comfort and a warm sensation that he had missed for years.

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Aladdin and Morgiana gave their last farewells to the caravan as they went on their separate ways.

"Let us get going too!" Aladdin invited after the figure of the caravan vanished into the desert. Aladdin expressed his happiness for Morgiana to travel together.

"Morgiana is kind of a long name. Do you mind if I use a nickname?" Aladdin asked, thinking that through this way he could have another friend who was definitely as kind as Alibaba.

"I don't mind," she answered, curious as to what nickname the child would give her.

"Then, I'll call you Mor! Is that okay?" He wanted to make sure that it didn't sound offensive or something.

"Yes. It's fine."

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"_Come, soon everything will fall apart and it's your choice to choose the future."_


	10. Chapter 10 : Sinbad

**Chapter 10 : Sinbad**

_I like going to different places and seeing the scenery and meeting the people. I've always enjoyed traveling. It's as good a way as any to spend your time._**Kitty Wells**

What would do if you were a thief and you happened to come across a man who had fallen asleep? Not to mention the amount of gold and jewelries on him! I would definitely do the logical, well logical for a thief anyway.

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Aladdin was having these little conversations with Mor when they were heading for Balbadd. It was really a good idea to invite the girl. She made a good travel companion except for the overelaborated display of gratitude. She wanted to catch a ship back to her homeland that departed from Balbadd and of course she wished to meet them again as well to voice her words of thanks.

It was really blissful for him when Mor thanked him. He had never thought that helping others would gain such happiness in return. To make it clear, Aladdin didn't do all that to get thank from others, he swore!

Now, was he imagining thing or there really was a naked man in front of them. Was it normal to walk around naked in the desert? Nope, definitely no, judging from the shocked expression Mor had. After some rather ridiculous attempts to take care of the 'monster', they finally calmed down enough to lend the man some clothes although he was obviously oversized in Aladdin's clothes.

"My name is Sin," the man introduced himself as the three of them sat by a campfire. "I was on my way to Balbadd when the thieves robbed me clean."

"I see." Now that explained the awkward situation. Both Aladdin and Mor gave a short introduction.

"Eh?" Aladdin voiced when he sensed something from the man; something very interesting indeed. Well, well, who did we have here? A man with seven Djinn. Even though his metal vessels were clearly not with him now, the surge of power was still there, pulsing through his very being. Just wait until Judal heard about this! He would probably laugh his head off. Who knew such powerful person would be robbed by thieves and had to walk around the desert naked?

"It feels great when you encounter new lands and new knowledge. The confidence, experience and bonds of friendship that are formed through adventuring are priceless. Adventures are splendid. They are truly what make a man a man." That had just further confirmed Aladdin's guess about this person. The way he talked about adventures was as if he himself had been through much which he probably did, as the High King of the Seven Seas.

A breeze greeted them and Mor stood absentmindedly. Raising her head, she sniffed the air.

"I can smell the sea," she announced.

"Once you get to the top of that hill, you should be able to see it," Sin said. Mor and Aladdin shared a look before they followed the man's advice to the hill. What greeted them was a breath-taking picture of a port town, packed with houses and located by the sea. The constant breezes were refreshing and nice against their skins.

"This is…"

"Balbadd!" They gasped at the amazing scene below as the man helped to carry their items and joined them from behind.

"Yeah, this is the nation of Balbadd, made up of this port city as its capital and hundreds of various islands in its adjacent waters. It's a great oceanic nation," he explained. Aladdin snapped out of his awe and reached for his items. Giving a glance at the town below, he smiled.

"I'm going to take my leave first. See you two soon then," Aladdin excused himself. The two were having a confused face as to what he had meant before the confusion melted into shock when he suddenly pushed himself down the hill.

"Aladdin!" Mor and Sin yelled. When they looked down, the child was nowhere to be seen.

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With relations to the oases in the north, small nations in the northeast and Partevia and Laem Empires in the west, Balbadd had flourished as the centre of maritime trade since times untold. The royal family, Saluja had governed this nation for generations. However, it was a real pity that the country fell into disorder with the death of the previous king.

Aladdin walked up the stairs that led to the hotel. Upon entering it, a few heads turned, wondering what a small child like him doing in the best hotel in the country. He ignored the stares and exchanged a few words with the person in charge. From the corner of his eyes, he couldn't help but notice a pair of eye-catching people. One was wrapped in robe with the snowy white hair and sharp eyes that reminded him of a serpent's while the other was tall and muscular. His armour shone in the light and he had the very same eyes Mor had.

"I'll lead you up to your room," a lady offered. Aladdin gave her a small smile.

"No, it's fine. I'll manage somehow," he decline politely, pulling his items behind him. For a moment there, Aladdin's and the mysterious white haired man's eyes met. Staring at each other without any meaning at all, Aladdin finally broke off the eye contact with a smile. The man seemed a bit taken aback at first before he too returned it with a small smile.

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"Ah, what a nice room~" was Aladdin's first impression to the accommodation though it was kind of expected from the best hotel of Balbadd no matter how fallen the country had been recently.

The room was large and nice. It gave out a very warm and comfortable feeling. There were large windows which provided a good view of the city. Overall, the room was beyond satisfaction though the floor felt a bit weird beneath his feet.

"Aladdin, you're stepping on me." Aladdin jumped a little when the 'floor' spoke. Sparing a glance at the supposed to be floor, he sighed heavily for beneath him was Judal who was sprawling on the floor where he was sure he should be standing on instead.

"What exactly are you doing?" Aladdin deadpanned, stepping off the elder after he kindly delivered a stomp on the elder's body.

Judal grunted in return, pushing himself up as soon as the weight left him. 'Ouch, Aladdin could really consider going on a diet next time.' That was what threatened to leave his lips but for the sake of his life, no, he would hold himself. It was still too early to die just yet.

"I'm bored." Now, that was an obvious fact.

"Why don't you go out? To play or sightseeing or something?" Aladdin asked before diving into the soft bed. Sighing in content of how soft it felt against his small frame, he nuzzled his head against the fold of the blankets.

"No, going out is not an option. There are that idiot king's annoying generals outside, right down at the hall. I don't feel like picking up a fight with them…yet." That was an excuse. Judal knew that Aladdin knew as well but he would never admit that he was waiting for the child's arrival just to make sure that he was safe and sound.

"Idiot king? Do you mean Sinbad?" Aladdin's question was barely audible as a result from burying his head into the soft furniture. Judal had to lean in closer to the child to hear him and when he did, he mumbled something that sounded like "Ah, yeah, that idiot who gets in my way always."

"If it's him, then I met him," Aladdin stated and sat on the bed with his legs dangling by the side.

"I see…" was what Judal said at first but as Aladdin's words digested in his mind, his eyes widened. "What?"

"I said I met that idiot rival of yours on my way here. Apparently, he was robbed so now he doesn't have any metal vessels with him. And…since you said that his generals are here, it won't be a surprised if he ends up staying here as well," Aladdin gave a guess.

"Who are you?"

"Get out of here, you weirdo!"

"Your clothes are way too revealing!"

Aladdin looked up when he heard the commotion from below.

"Speak of the devil…" he drawled. Sharing a look with Judal, they showed mischievous grins and made their ways down to the hall.

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"Please stop," the white haired man from earlier said and ambled towards the guards. Giving some explanations to the guards, he managed to dismiss them. Really, he was getting stressed to deal with the troubles that idiot attracted.

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"Ow, it ended too soon~" Judal whined from their hiding spot behind a pillar. "And I'm looking forward to see him being tossed right out too~"

Aladdin commented nothing on the childlike antics the elder shown; instead his gaze was fixated on the standing figures that were known as Sinbad's generals.

"Please do something about your inappropriate attire," the shorter of the generals said, pushing the king to the back. Aladdin and Judal yelped a bit before they took covers, making sure that they were hidden when the both of them had passed. As soon as the figures disappeared behind the doors, Judal laughed out loud though he tried his best to not roll on the ground and pass off from excessive laughing.

"Get a hold of yourself, please," Aladdin droned.

"Do you see that? I think the idiot king just went through a whole new level of idiocy!" Judal couldn't help but laughed on their way back to their room.

"Were you surprised to see another Fanalis?" A voice from behind the doors made Judal's laughter died down immediately. He grinned and grabbed Aladdin by the arms. Putting his hand onto Aladdin's mouth to cover the yelp that followed, he made a motion with his finger to signal the child to keep it down for a while. The child obliged and pried the hand covering his mouth off with a movement that indicated he understood.

"Yes, I suppose so. We're a rare sight." Another voice was heard, deep and lack of emotion. 'So, he's also a Fanalis after all,' Aladdin thought as the both of them pressed their ears to the door. Eavesdropping was never a good habit but he would make it an exception this time.

"I'm sure the answer is no, but you didn't let everything get stolen, did you?" The other asked hopefully.

"Yes, I did" was the swift reply. Outside, the two eavesdroppers were trying their best not to laugh at the nonchalant reply. They could imagine the face of the white haired man when silence fell onto the occupants of the room and they waited and waited for the reaction of the man. It only took a few more seconds for the voice to sound again.

"Not just your clothes, but all of your tools and everything you had on you?" He asked, just to make sure.

"Yes, everything." That reply alone made him feel faint.

"You…Have you forgotten what those tools are?" He was officially freaking out now, grabbing the king by his throat and swinging his head back and forth to clear his mind.

"Don't worry! I'll take care of it. Just leave it to me!" Sinbad said with a few laughs of his own. He was really not worrying about anything huh?

"Honestly…How long is it going to take you to start acting like a king? You are Sinbad, the King of Sindria!" The man lectured.

"I doubt that he'll ever learn to act like one," Aladdin whispered quietly. Judal gave a small smile in agreement. Ah, he felt sorry for that idiot's generals. Dealing with this kind of king was definitely hard. It was a blessing that Kouen or any other king candidates didn't act that way, at the very least they took good care of their own metal vessels and that alone helped to save a lot of unwanted troubles along the way.

"Hide," Aladdin sobered suddenly, pushing Judal away from the doors and hurriedly hid behind some large plants. That was when the doors were pushed open all of the sudden with a force that the wooden materials shook, struggling to stay firm.

"What's the matter, Masrur?" A voice called from inside.

"…I thought I heard something," the muscular man replied. His cold eyes scanned through the hallway. From behind, the others emerged from the room, sparing glances to the surrounding.

"No, I didn't see anyone here. Maybe, it's your imagination?" The king voiced his opinion.

"Maybe," the bright haired man answered and the trio walked away.

When the coast was clear, Aladdin revealed himself from his hiding spot. He let out sigh, "Now, that was close."

Judal hummed in response as he rubbed his sore back; an aftereffect from being shoved into the small corner of the wall.

"What do you think they're here for?" Aladdin inquired.

"No idea," Judal shrugged.

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"I'm only here for one thing. Reopen maritime trade with Sindria." Both the current king of Balbadd and his brother flinched under the stern tone. "Your father and I cultivated an alliance between our two nations. Are you trying to break that?"

"I-I'm sorry, but it's impossible for me to reopen the trade. I already have my hands full with domestic issues here in Balbadd."

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"Hey, chibi, the person you wanted to meet is his name Alibaba by some chance?" Judal asked from his lying position on the comfy bed.

"Wow, you actually remembered his name. I'm impressed," Aladdin said. His tone dipped with sarcasm. Judal snorted at his mocking.

"Actually, there have been rumours going on…no, not rumours because most people have confirmed it to be true," Judal started.

"Like?"

"The Fog Troupe. Balbadd is a city of fog. Recently, a group of thieves has been appearing with the fog…"

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"Just a group of stinking thieves. Two years ago, they broke into the royal treasury and their numbers have been growing ever since," King Ahbmad explained, his nose wrinkled in displease. "They equip themselves with some strange magic. The army can't do anything against them. They've become a powerful anarchist force."

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"But they only attack the mansions of nobles and national trading vessels. They redistributed the goods and money they gain so some fools are considering them heroes," Judal further explained.

"So they are heroic thieves? How interesting," Aladdin commented and turned so that his back was laid against the comfortable material. "But…I don't see the connection of this with Alibaba."

"Impatient, aren't you?" Judal teased. "That's not all, you see…"

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Ahbmad was complaining about how the foolish people saw the thieves as heroic figures and all they had done was raising the taxes.

"You two have a terrible reputation," Sinbad pointed out dully.

"It's not our fault! This really annoying guy just took over the Fog Troupe recently," Ahdmad roared.

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"The new leader of the troupe happened to share the same name, Alibaba though they call him Miracle Man Alibaba," Judal finished. Registering the look of shock in the child's face, he waited for his response.

"Miracle Man Alibaba?" Aladdin repeated. "I don't think he'll be the one who leads a group of thieves. He doesn't even like to show off like that. It's definitely a different person."

"What if…" Judal voiced. "He's the very same person you are looking for? What are you going to do then?"

"The activities of the thieves have been a hindrance to the schedules of the ships and boats which meant that the ship to the Dark Continent may also be one of them. I bet that Mor will kick his ass if he's really the leader," Aladdin chuckled a bit. Judal knew that Aladdin was just trying to avert the conversation. Normally, he would just let it slip but not this time, he needed to know if he was strong enough to face such possibility.

"I didn't ask for the other's reaction," Judal stated. "I asked for yours. What will you do if the Miracle Man Alibaba is the same as the Alibaba you are searching for?"

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"Why on Earth did he have to show up now of all times!" Ahbmad let out in one breath and if not for Sahbmad, he would have let out more information than necessary and things would turn pretty bad.

"At any rate, because of the Fog Troupe, trade is impossible. If you want to reopen trade that badly, you'll have to find your own solution," The king concluded. Even though he was a king, Sinbad really had little patience dealing with this sort of king.

"You don't mind if I do?" Sinbad asked. His tone grew cold as his knife was unsheathed. Digging the knife into the table, he declared, "I'll get rid of that Fog Troupe. I don't need your army either. We'll do it alone.

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"No matter what he does, reopening trade with Sindria is impossible. If he gets rid of the Fog Troupe in the process, well, all the better for us," Ahbmad said when Sinbad and his generals left. His eyes narrowed at the sight of the Kou Empire's letter.

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Judal was trying to be patient, really but the fact that Aladdin didn't even bother to reply his question annoyed him. He was about to say something when a black Rukh interrupted. It moved back and forth in front of Judal as if urging him to do something. After reading the message the Rukh carried, he sighed out loud tiredly.

"I'm going to Balbadd's palace. That old man said that he needs me for something," Judal informed the child. Ruffling the child's blue hair, he gathered himself up. "Probably to meet with that fatty king…"

Aladdin watched as the elder left through the window and he sighed, lying down onto the bed. Staring at the ceiling, his mind wondered back to the question Judal posed earlier. That was right. If it really was Alibaba, what should he do?

Thinking was not helping much. Instead, it earned him quite a headache. Food might help. Aladdin did a mental drooling at the thought of food so he rolled over to get down of the bed. Mission, get some food!

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Sinbad was treating Morgiana to some infamous delicacies of Balbadd. He seemed to enjoy the sight of the young female's blissful expression when she dug in. It was no use to be pondering about the previous conversation with the king so why not enjoy himself first.

A flash of blue at the corner of his eyes caught his attention and he recognised the blue braid that swung in the air with every moment the owner made. Being as a loudmouth as he was, he gave a yell of realisation. That drew the attentions of the others.

"Aladdin!" He shouted from his seat and the white haired man immediately delivered a chop down his head, telling him to be quieter. Aladdin, in turn, blinked when he heard his name been called and whipped his head, only to find Sinbad a few tables away.

"Ah, mister Sin!" He greeted cheerfully, careful not to use Sinbad's real name. He watched as Sinbad introduced him to the generals who were both curious and suspicious of the child. They visibly relaxed after the explanation of how they met along the way.

"And these are Ja'far and Masrur," Sinbad introduced, gesturing towards the pair standing behind him. Then, he suddenly turned and addressed Morgiana. "Masrur is a Fanalis."

"What?"

"You're too, right? You two have the same eyes," the king concluded. The two Fanalis exchanged small greetings before Sinbad decided to treat Aladdin too, something about to celebrate their reunion here.

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"So what do you plan on doing?" Ja'far inquired after the kids were gone by the side. "You made such a bold statement to those brothers but you don't have any of your tools."

"It'll work out."

"What?"

"At Sindria's founding, the previous king of Balbadd taught me a lot about trading. Even though he's no longer with us, I owe him a great debt. I can't stand by and watch his nation fall to chaos," Sinbad said.

"It's not about that but what exactly shall we do first to take care of the thieves?" Ja'far asked, bringing up the cup for a drink.

"Eh? You're talking about the Fog Troupe that appeared recently, right?" Ja'far was so shocked that he ended up getting all the liquid out of his mouth. What? He didn't even sense the child approaching. From Sinbad's expression, he didn't notice the child too but still he gave a nervous 'yes'.

"I see. Actually, I'm quite interested in them as well. Mind sharing some information with me?" Aladdin asked, tilting his head to the side.

"Umm, I don't think it's something that interesting for a child though. There are far more interesting things around Balbadd than a bunch of thieves," Sinbad persuaded the child. After all, the least others knew the better.

"But, it is interesting," Aladdin insisted. His face turned into a pout as he resumed, "and I'm not just a mere child, Sinbad, the master of seven Djinn; the 1st Djinn Baal, 6th Djinn Valefor, 16th Djinn Zepar, 34th Djinn Furfur, 41st Djinn Focalor, 42nd Djinn Vepar and 49th Djinn Crocell."

Enjoying the shocked looks as he listed Sinbad's Djinn, he took the liberty to continue, "And you're also the high king of the seven seas, King of Sindria, Sinbad."

What was with this child? Normal children shouldn't know this much even if they were fans of his. He never gave his true identity. To accurately state the name and the rank of the Djinn, this was absurd! Ja'far and Masrur tensed beside him. Their body readied to attack whereas Sinbad's face became serious.

"How, may I ask, did you know about that?" Sinbad asked in a lower and darker tone. He leaned in closer to the child to be at least more menacing. Despite that, the child just laughed and sat back on the chair, looking totally relaxed. The king blinked in confusion when Aladdin clapped his small hands.

"Amazing! Even without your metal vessels, you can sound so damn confident! You're brave and interesting. I'll give you that," Aladdin said. If possible, Ja'far and Masrur looked as if they were on the verge of attacking the child while Sinbad's face darkened.

"Who are you?" Sinbad asked. His voice was tense and stern, clearly demanding answer.

"You don't need to get so worked up, you know!" He teased, crooking his head to the side with a grin on his face. He knew he was just been very annoying to them now but it couldn't be helped, it was too fun to see their Rukh moved accordingly to what they were feeling now. He should stop this soon. "For your information, I know because of your Rukh. I can see the power within you since we met and not to mention the faint senses of the metal vessels from you."

Masrur clenched his fists tightly. Ja'far reached for his blades beneath his layers of robe. Morgiana seemed to be confused as she threw nervous glances to and forth of Sinbad's group and Aladdin.

"Rukh? You can see them? No, you must not only be capable of seeing them, right? Who are you exactly, Aladdin?" Sinbad growled, trying to keep his voice low.

"Who do you think I am?" was the reply that didn't reveal any useful information.

"I'm not fond of beating around the bush."

"Or so I've heard," Aladdin stated. He sighed in defeat at the increasing tension, knowing that he couldn't play further without them attacking him. "If you really want to know that badly, fine, I'll tell you. I'm a magi. Therefore, it's only natural that I know the flow of Rukh that is within you."

"You're a magi?" Sinbad gasped in disbelief.

"Ah, yes. Now, can you call your men to calm down? They look as if their blood pressure had just skyrocketed," Aladdin requested. He needed to calm down as well. He was becoming increasingly excited for each passing seconds and no, it was not a good sign. He couldn't let that side of him took over yet.

"Beside," he added. "If I want to harm you, I would have done so back then when you're defenceless."

Sinbad resisted the urge to shudder at the cold tone the child used. To their shock, even though it was just a second, the magi's eyes flashed blood red. It was gone as soon as it came and the child touched his forehead. With a shaky grin on his lips, he whispered, "Ah, I let it slip again."

Blinking to clear his eyes, Sinbad debated mentally. What the child said did make sense, if he really wanted to harm him, he would have done so earlier. There was no need to wait for that golden opportunity to slip, right? His conscience was telling him to back away from the child but his guts were telling him to trust him. And being Sinbad, he ignored his conscience and deemed that the child could be trusted…for now. Aside from that, having a magi alone would be a great help, especially since he had no metal vessels with him now.

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"We believe the Fog Troupe's aim is either the wealthy merchant, Aljaris' or the noble, Haldhub's mansion," Ja'far deduced. His eyes skilfully scanned through the scroll in his hands.

"Why do you say that?" Sinbad asked. Beside him, Aladdin was keeping his eyes fixed on the floor but his ears were picking up the information.

"False information has been spread about the movements of the army. The Fog Troupe appears to have supporters even within the government," Ja'far answered.

"Even within the government…" Sinbad parroted and Ja'far gave a nod at that.

"The Fog Troupe is more popular among the people than we imagined." That was an undeniable truth.

"If the people support the Fog Troupe, are we doing the right thing by capturing them?" Morgiana asked from the side. Under her strong insistence to help, Sinbad allowed her in.

"I think so, they distribute the money they steal to the people, thereby gaining the people's support. That's why people call them chivalrous thieves but I think the thieves may only do that to make their crimes seem justifiable or perhaps we are hearing a lot of propaganda," Sinbad muttered. "Well, that's what I've come up with. That's my story and I'm sticking to it."

He glanced at Aladdin through the corner of his eyes before declaring, "You guys should also spend some time thinking this over and act according to your conclusions. That's how I've managed to get this far."

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After Aladdin and Morgiana had left, the trio shared a look with each other before Ja'far shot his hands up to shake Sinbad, demanding his reason from involving children into this case. No, not just that, the child clearly depicted trouble. What in the world was the king thinking?

Sinbad pushed Ja'far's hands down to loosen the hold around his collar.

"Don't worry. I think that Aladdin can be trusted for now. I mean, he didn't try to come and attack nor did something fishy, right?" The king voiced.

"That's not the point. Didn't you feel it too? The feeling around the child for that spilt second. It almost feels like that annoying pest!" Ja'far said. His frown was in place and he stiffened at the thought of a certain dark haired magi that proved to be a nuisance due to their many encounters in the past. "I have a bad feeling about that child."

"Well, that's that. For now, we'll do what we must and that's it."

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"The fog has rolled in," Ja'far commented. He and the other two; Aladdin and Morgiana were on one side of the bay while Sinbad and Masrur were on the other side as they hadn't had any idea which side would be attacked.

"Are Sinbad and Masrur the only ones guarding the other mansion?" Morgiana questioned. Ja'far gave her a reassuring smile.

"Do not worry, Sinbad might seem a little shady, but his title as the high king of the seven seas isn't just for show." Ja'far was confident at the king's capability as long as he didn't try anything stupid. That was the least concern though; the thing that worried him most was…He spared a glance at the blue haired child who had been silent for quite a long time now.

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How fallen could Balbadd be? It was ironical that the rich enjoyed food and warmth until they were excess while the poor and needy starved and freeze to death.

That was why Sinbad didn't stop them; the group of poor people that attacked them suddenly, all for the sake of food to survive. He allowed them to access the store for food. It was fair for the wealth of the rich was actually obtained through the poor's taxes. He raised his head to look at the sky, frowning at the state Balbadd was in now.

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The guards were laughing nonstop even though they didn't really know why. It was as if something triggered a nerve and they all started laughing like there was no tomorrow. Hearing the uproarious laughter, Morgiana and Aladdin made their ways to the guards who oddly began their laughter.

'This is mist?' Mor thought before her nose picked up something within the mist.

"Aladdin, don't breathe in any of the mist!" was her last warning before she picked up the child and leaped onto the roof. As soon as they landed, they could hear the panic from below. The guards were attacking one another?

"What's going on?" Mor gasped.

"They seem to be caught in an illusion," Ja'far replied from behind. "Did you notice the red mist? That's not a product of human hands. It must be strange magic."

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The thieves were now marching forth to the mansion. On the arm of a lady, a weapon was raised. The very same mist that tackled the guards was reeking out of it, licking the air in hunger.

"Your Sword of Phantasmal Scarlet Fog is as frightening as ever, Zaynab," a man commented. The lady huffed and manoeuvred the sword skilfully.

"Stop talking and start using your Sword of Corroding Golden Fog, Hassan," Zaynab lectured.

"Yeah, yeah," he replied, scratching the thick wall of the mansion with his sword and within seconds the walls collapsed as the golden fog tackled it.

"Let's go! Our target is that fat pig's mansion! Go wild!"

Following his lead, the thieves charged forward with their weapons high in the air. They weren't able to get very far as a couple of red wires halted them. They looked up to notice a single man standing on the roof. His eyes shone menacingly.

He landed onto the ground and pulled harder at his wires before a weird, black fog surrounded him. It coiled around his arms. At that moment, Ja'far's arms felt heavy and they slammed into the ground.

"Another magical weapon!" He grunted, struggling to stand.

"That's right. It's the Sword of Shackling Ebon Fog." Ja'far tried, very hard to turn a little to meet the newcomer. Behind him was a man with a strange sword covered with fog in his hand. Ja'far then noticed the other behind him as well, a masked man.

"Kassim!"

Ja'far realised that that must be the man's name.

"Let my comrades go," Kassim ordered.

"Our leader and our main force have arrived!" Someone announced hopefully in the troupe. The masked man who seemed to be the mysterious leader stepped forward, going straight past Ja'far with his men following close behind.

Mor didn't like to waste time as much as she didn't like thieves. Her legs connected with several thieves' heads mercilessly, bringing down them in one swift kick each.

"Kassim, heading your way!" A man yelled to warn the black haired man. He responded by throwing the black fog towards her. The fog seized the girl and pinned her down to the ground.

"A girl?" Kassim let out. Behind him, the masked figure seemed shocked as well.

"Mor!" Aladdin shouted from the roof when he saw what happened. The masked man turned and had another shock.

Kassim was busy handling Mor who could still in fact stood despite the attack of the black fog. He pressed more of it onto her and finally she was held down.

"Now is your chance! Grab the goods and run for it!" Kassim commanded and the thieves cheered, rushing into the mansion to sweep some goods.

"It's no good, right? I won't let you pass that easily," Aladdin chuckled darkly. Closing his eyes, he inhaled deeply.

The Earth rumbled and out of blue, water started to burst out from the ground. It shot up into the air to form a large wall before it was immediately frozen into an ice wall. The thieves scrambled away from the icy wall.

"Heh, it's a piece of cake for me!" Hassan exclaimed proudly from below and he reached forward with his sword. However, before his sword could even touch the ice wall, the ground roared again and moments later he was knocked backwards with his weapon escaping his grip.

"No, I'll not let you do as you like," Aladdin stated as he sat comfortably on the verge of the wall. Kassim raised his weapon to attack the child when a hand landed on his shoulder.

"Leave this one to me," the masked man said. He took confident steps forward. Aladdin who noticed him squirmed to get a better look at him, only to gasp in turn.

'No, it can't be!' The young magi thought. The seal was responding to him and he could see who exactly resided in the vessel. It was Amon and that meant that…

The sound of clothes unwrapping could be heard. Slowly, the clothes covering the masked man's face slowly fell. Ah, that confirmed it. He was the very same person Aladdin had been looking for; the Miracle Man Alibaba turned up to be Alibaba in the end after all.

Subtly in his mind, the question that he had yet to answer resounded, _"What will you do if the Miracle Man Alibaba is the same as the Alibaba you are searching for?"_


	11. Chapter 11 : A Broken Promise

**Chapter 11 : A Broken Promise**

_A promise must never be broken._ **Alexander Hamilton**

"Ali…baba," Aladdin said. Alibaba gave a glance back at Kassim, answering his question before he turned back towards Aladdin.

"Aladdin, it has been a while!" He raised his voice and for a moment there, Aladdin actually thought that nothing had changed at all. However, on the contrary, everything had changed. Aladdin knew it from the new looks in the blonde's eyes. They were much colder than before but still he had to make sure of something for himself and so he threw himself down and landed before Alibaba.

"Hey, Alibaba, it has been a while. I hope you didn't forget our promise. You said that you're going to show me the world." Those words were what Alibaba had spoken before. He said so himself that he was going to show him a lot of interesting things around the world and they would see them together. Then, why did he walk straight past him with a mutter of apology, something about him couldn't keep the promise?

Aladdin didn't know why it hurt when Alibaba did so. He didn't know why his body refused to move no matter how he urged them and he didn't know why the words had died on his tongue. He should have been prepared for this since the very start…but why? His mind was blank and his limbs were weak.

Forcing himself to spin around, what greeted him was a burst of flame and his crumbling ice wall as the flame devoured it. The ice hissed under the heat and it cracked before evaporated. In the deepest recess of his mind, he had a feeling that it was not just the ice wall that was crumbling away but him as well.

"The army is here!" Zaynab yelled in alert.

"Alibaba, we've to get out of here!" Kassim advised.

"Got it," Alibaba replied, unsheathing his knife and holding it in the air.

"Spirit of propriety and discipline, I command thee and thine. With my magoi as your source, use your great power to bring my will to life!" The seal shone brilliantly.

"Come forth Amon!" The chant was all Aladdin heard. With a blast of flame, he was gone. The person he called friend was gone. Aladdin dropped shakily to the ground but he opted himself to be calm and nonchalant. Behind him, he could sense Mor shifting as the black fog began to disperse. He couldn't stay here. Every moment here hurt. He needed to sort out his mind first before he could face anyone and to accomplish that, he would need to go somewhere quiet and safe.

It was all a mess now. He thought he was strong enough to do this. What a fool. He was a fool.

Morgiana gasped in surprise when Rukh, black and white came buzzing through. She reached out for Aladdin but the Rukh began to twirl madly and when they finally ceased, the child was nowhere to be seen. Ja'far stared with his eyes narrowed. Thing had gone through a pretty bad turn.

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"That's unexpected. There's a dungeon capturer in the Fog Troupe? And he's the person Aladdin's looking for? Just what kind of person is this Miracle Man Alibaba?" Sinbad listed out all his questions. Eying the massive damage done here, he shook his head. It really was a mess here. Never mind that, the most important thing was to deal with the Fog Troupe. The government could clear this mess up by themselves.

"Where's Aladdin?" The king asked when he scanned around, noticing the absence of the blue haired magi. Ja'far shifted and sobered. "He left soon after the thieves. I've no idea where he went."

"I see," Sinbad voiced while Ja'far frowned.

"Sin, if I told you this before, I'll tell you again. I've a bad feeling about that child," Ja'far said gravely.

Morgiana sniffed and gave the area a total scan, picking up the scents of various people. She had to do something about him; Alibaba.

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Alibaba didn't know what the right thing to do at the moment was. He wanted to be convinced that what he was doing now was right but he knew that deep down in his heart, it was not entirely right.

He confronted Kassim about the reason he took in so many random unknown men out of nowhere. He nearly got a heart attack when Kassim joked about starting a war. That was when he began to doubt himself about his doing. However, it seemed to be the only thing he could do for now. He wanted to see the smiling faces of the slum children. He wanted them to be able to live and stay safe.

He thought about Aladdin and a part of him wanted to ask for help and guidance from the child but he squelched the mere thought of it. After all, he had resolved to do this all by himself. He couldn't turn back or run away now. It was his responsibility and he would shoulder it alone.

If by continuing fighting was the only way of doing it, then he would do it for their sake.

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"I can't keep that promise."

Aladdin had reached his room at hotel and almost immediately, he sank into the soft bed. His mind was weary as he revised those words. He could feel his chest tightened. Groaning, he pushed himself up roughly, stumbling towards the window. Maybe, some viewing would help.

It didn't, instead it had make matter worse. Seeing that lonely moon in the sky brought back many memories, too many; their meeting, their adventure and finally their promise. Why? Why did humans make promise that they couldn't fulfil? Why did it hurt so much now? Argh, it was all so damn frustrating, annoying, irritating and confusing…

He sat on the floor, his back leaning against the wall as a support. His eyes firmly closed to push away those useless recollections. He was feeling so weak now. What caused him to be so?

The air stirred and Aladdin creaked open his eyes. In front of him, the dark Rukh was forming a passage before a figure emerged out of it.

"Markkio," Aladdin addressed lazily. He was in no mood to talk now.

"What's with the foul mood, magi?" The man asked. Aladdin's eyes lidded but no sound left his lips. "I see."

"Huh?" Aladdin was positively sure that he hadn't said anything!

"I told you before, right?" The masked figure began. "Friendship is useless. It'll only tie you down, making you weak."

"But, he's…Alibaba i-"

"He broke it, didn't him?" Aladdin's argument was cut in. "He broke his promise he made with you." There was a pause. "Face it. It's all a lie, so beautifully woven to trap you."

No, he refused to believe this but it was hard not to be convinced under these circumstances. Perfectly aware of the inner turmoil of the child, the man continued, "You know what to do from here on, right?"

A smirk and he was gone.

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There was someone in his room. Alibaba thought so but when his eyes perceived nothing, he concluded that he must have been more tired than he thought.

Alibaba felt like screaming. I meant who wouldn't if they lied down only to find a person stretched out directly above of them. He would have screamed if not for Mor to place her hand over his mouth.

It took a moment or two to finally register the fact that Morgiana was standing in from of him.

"Why're you here?" was the first question he posed.

"I tracked your scent here," Morgiana replied. "Why are you with the thieves? Please explain yourself to Aladdin. He seemed pretty sad about it."

"There's nothing to explain. Also, you're in the den of thieves. Leave before you get yourself killed." Did Mor look like she cared? It didn't matter where she was as long as she got to talk with the blonde. She needed to obtain some explanation from him, not only for her sake but for Aladdin's as well. Ever since the child vanished that night, Mor had a bad feeling. It felt as if something was going to happen if she didn't at least try to do something about the situation.

"I will not, Aladdin specially came to see you," Morgiana added.

"And what of it?" Ah, Alibaba was really getting on her nerve now. After a few failed attempts to argue with Alibaba, she deemed that it was useless to get through him with words. She would drag him along, kicking and screaming and so she did just that. Picking up the blonde teen easily in her arms to cut off his excuses, she leaped into the air.

"I will take you to Aladdin now," she said as the final warning before she jumped from roof to roof with Alibaba's scream torn through the night sky.

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"Balbadd's economy is currently in a terrible state of disorder. And this…" Ja'far held up a paper note before resuming, "…is one of the reasons."

"Paper money issued by Kou Empire," Sinbad stated.

"The Kou Empire is using their military prowess to try to circulate this paper money even in neighbouring countries. Balbadd's king, Ahbmad, has fallen under their influence. According to my research, it appears that he has married a princess of the Kou Empire," Ja'far informed further and Sinbad found himself frowning. That jerk. He didn't tell him that.

"There's also the problem of the Fog Troupe. Perhaps we should think about our next move and get in touch with our home country," Ja'far suggested helpfully and Sinbad agreed with him, saying that he had no a single metal vessels on him.

To make matter worse, Sinbad had a very bad feeling about something. It was as if calm before the storm. His mind wandered to a certain child and he couldn't help but worried about the child. Then, out of blue, he felt a tinge of dark feeling. It was teasing as if it deliberately let itself be known before it faded away to nothingness.

"Did you feel that?" Sinbad asked. In front of him, Ja'far threw him a confused stare. Wasting no time at all, he hauled himself out and decided to see for himself the source of the strange feeling. Ja'far, of course, followed him without any objection though he was baffled by the king's sudden movement.

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When Markkio was gone, Aladdin stole a glance at the night sky. His mind was processing all the words the man left and suddenly the room felt stuffy and uncomfortable.

Sighing heavily, he pulled at his turban and the cloth unfolded at the familiar movement. A step on the ground and he lifted himself onto the turban. Using it as a lift, he waited as the cloth carried him downwards. He didn't quite feel like using the main doors now for known reasons.

As soon as his feet touched the ground, he gave one last look at the night sky before wandering into one of the many alleys of Balbadd. Taking a late night stroll sounded good, especially for sorting out his messy mind and of course to decide on the thing he had to do after this.

The night air was cold and foggy as expected of a port city; Balbadd. Aladdin had thought that it was really beautiful city during the day but the only comment he could give to the city during the night was cold. It was everything but warm. Aladdin actually found it quite fitting with how he was feeling now and he let out a bitter chuckle.

He had lost count of how many turns he had taken and how many streets had he passed. All he could take note of was the soreness of his legs as he forcefully dragged himself across the many streets and alleys. He was lost both physically and mentally.

To say that the night was extremely dangerous was a true statement. What often happened when you let a child venture the night alone?

He was not in any mood to play. Aladdin mentally groaned when several men appeared out of nowhere. Their hands armed with various weapons. His eyes roved over the area to discover the fact that he was surrounded by ten or more men, each carrying a weapon of their own. Aladdin's steps fell to a halt and he finally realized how painful they were. Why did things always have to go against him?

Snarling, a man stood, taller than any of them and his knife dangerously held.

"A child? Hey, you little brat! This is not a place for a child so go away before we kill you!" The man yelled and others agreed. Aladdin made a motion to walk forward. This, however, displeased the man.

"What're you doing?" The man asked.

"Getting out of here," Aladdin stated. He really wasn't in any mood to play.

"No can do, child! You stumble upon this place and you'll pay for it!" The man barked. They were liars. Liars. The word caused Aladdin's stomach to churn and he hated the word. It reminded him too much of that person. He promised so, yet he was the very same person to break it. That promise wasn't something like a contract. A contract was different. It could be retracted without leaving any trace and a broken contract wouldn't hurt as much as a broken promise. Fine, if this was the way Alibaba treated their friendship, he would do the very same thing in return.

When had the man charged at him? It was yet another thing he hadn't take note of. He strolled past him and instead of being cut; he gave the man a detached body. Screams were in the air, both from the fallen man and his companions. Without giving them any sort of eye contact, he continued forward. They shakily parted away from the child. Fear was evidenced within them from their trembling figures.

By the time Aladdin reached the end of the alley, he turned. The smile on his face was deranged and a pair of blood shot eyes shone under the brilliance of the moonlight. Painted red was the street and dead were the men. His feet splashed against the warm liquid and he laughed, sang and twirled around them. It was as if he was on the verge of insanity but he liked it. Insanity numbed the pain in his heart.

It was clear now; what he had to do. It was proven to be a mistake for him to make friend since the very beginning and he would make sure he rectified his mistake by wiping away an entity known as Alibaba.

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"Are you sure, Sin?" Ja'far asked. He didn't like to intrude other's room just because Sinbad felt something ill coming from it.

"Yes, I'm sure. This is where I sensed that ill malice. It was gone now but just to make sure," Sinbad said and pushed open the door. What greeted him was a normal room and for a second there he doubted his sense.

"See, there's nothing here. It's rude to go into other's room without permission," Ja'far reprimanded. They were about to leave when a scream announced the arrival of Alibaba through the window. The newcomer rolled and slammed into the wall beside the door with a dumb look on his face.

Sinbad, Ja'far and Masrur stared in confusion at the sudden arrival of the leader of the Fog Troupe whereas Morgiana followed in gracefully and she exchanged looks with the trio.

"What're you doing here, Morgiana?" Sinbad questioned. He was sure that this wasn't her room.

"I'm taking Alibaba to Aladdin. I can smell him here so I guess this is his room," Morgiana replied. The leader of the troupe gathered himself into a sitting position. He knew that escape would be futile with these unknown people blocking the door as well as Morgiana who was still standing by the window.

'This is Aladdin's room?' Sinbad bellowed mentally. If so, then the malice from before…no, did something happen to the young magi? No, there's no clear evidence that revealed any fighting or struggling that occurred here. Furthermore, he was a magi. He wouldn't die that easily, right?

Convincing himself with that thought, he knew that there was something else that he had to take care of first and with that, he glanced at the blonde who had remained silent all the while after his epic screaming.

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Judal never thought that it would last so long, too long for his liking. He was dragged to the palace, just to show his face to that pig of a king and somehow it took much, much longer than he expected to return. Therefore, eagerly, he travelled back to make sure Aladdin was okay. The younger might throw a tantrum for making him wait so long.

"Woah, wait!" Judal barely managed a brake as he reached the hotel room. There was someone in there and it didn't feel like Aladdin. It felt more like…the idiot king! What was he doing here?

Hmm, he took a peek. They looked as if they were starting an important conversation. Tempting as it seemed to just eavesdrop and get a vast amount of information out of them, Judal wasn't really interested in this sort of conversation now, especially not after a day or two which were completely filled with political talks that made him want to puke.

His eyebrows knitted together and he had an urge to blast them out of the room but not now. He had a feeling that there was something more important to take care of; Aladdin. The mere absence of the young child alerted the elder. He knew something was off. With the dumb king and the others in their rooms plus the grim atmosphere in the air, something was not quite right here.

He turned and went away, searching for a familiar child that he had found himself worried about again.

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"Who are you?" Alibaba shrieked.

"I'm Sinbad, King of Sindria," Sinbad introduced himself to the blonde. Alibaba gave the man a good onceover. The man before him was the High King of Seven Seas, the one he adored for so long? He found himself gaping in shock.

"Now, if you will kindly tell me the reason you are helping the thieves, Miracle Man Alibaba?" The king asked. Alibaba bowed low. He clenched his fists tightly until his knuckles grew white. Biting his lower lips, he growled, "It's none of your business."

"On the contrary, it's my business in one way or another," Sinbad replied.

"Still I refuse," Alibaba declined, keeping his head low and gaze fixated to the floor.

"You refused? Do you know what's happening to this country because of your Fog Troupe?" Morgiana cut in. She balled her fists tightly until her hands shook. Anger built up within her. "Domestic insurrections have caused trade to come to a halt, the government is abandoning its citizens and formerly free, innocent people whose crime is poverty are being forced into slavery and now you're acting like that?"

Alibaba flinched when Mor stomped, reducing the floor under her foot into rumble.

"Don't be like that, Morgiana," Sinbad waved to get the girl to calm down before sobered, "Now that you know the seriousness of the situation, tell us the reason. Please take note that I don't take the answer 'no' too well."

"Fine," Alibaba sighed out in defeat. His option was quite limited now and he found it bizarre when he had a feeling that lying would get him nowhere. Inhaling deeply, he began, "First of all, I'll tell you about…a friend. His name is…Kassim."

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It was not hard to find that chibi. Really, for once it was easy, especially when the blood was splattered all over the street and the sense of the metallic liquid was overwhelming in the night air. There he was; the child he was looking for. Judal couldn't say that the child was alright with his insane laughter in the air and the torn limbs of some unfortunate men on the ground.

Something had happened and it was nothing good. Judal descended from his position in the air. Approaching the child who was still using the dead bodies as punching bag, well in this case as slicing bag, he frowned. Aladdin normally didn't act this way. He hadn't since a long time ago and Judal thought that he had changed. However, it was clear that something unpleasant had occurred to make him revert back to how he once was; darker, colder and more merciless.

Judal didn't know whether he should rejoice or worry about this. The organization would be more than happy to know about this since they were not all that happy when Aladdin changed into someone who was kinder and tenderer. Judal could still remember their words when they said that kindness wasn't needed.

Judal liked it; the kinder Aladdin, the one who smiled genuinely. It reminded him of those small significant times they spent in the past when everything wasn't so complicated, when they could still live the ways the wanted.

"That's enough, chibi," Judal couldn't bear seeing this. Aladdin was too unstable like this. Whatever or whoever that had caused Aladdin to be like this would be marked as the first to suffer in his list. The child didn't hear it. Even if he did, he made no move to oblige.

"Aladdin," Judal called, shifting nervously as the cutting and tearing motion paused. Time seemed to freeze when the younger spun around. Red met red. Judal was taken aback a bit as the red hue in the younger's eyes were so intense that they looked as if they were about to murder you with just a single eye contact.

He was brought out of his stupor soon when light rays flashed at him. He moved out of the way just in time before they hit him. His own eyes trailed along expertly to pinpoint the caster and he jolted. What? Aladdin was attacking him. He took a good look at the younger and almost got himself cut by a slash of wind. The child's eyes were wide. They looked like they weren't actually seeing anything.

"Damn," Judal cursed. More slashes and whips of wind seemed to depict the increasing anger and annoyance in Aladdin. He could only dodge the fierce attacks. Aladdin didn't act like he noticed that it was him yet and at that moment Judal made a reckless movement. He charged, straight towards the child. In his advance, some attacks managed to get him a few scratches and cuts but he couldn't care less. All that matter now was Aladdin. He couldn't go on like this.

"Aladdin!" Judal called. His hands gripped the younger's shoulders and he shook violently, hoping that the child would regain some sense, at least enough sense to recognize him. How unfortunately that he didn't, Aladdin merely raised his hand. His eyes were blank and emotionless. Judal knew the flow of Rukh well when they moved to gather at the top of the child's palm.

"This isn't good," Judal mumbled desperately. Finally, he braced himself and couched down. His arms flew to round the child, squeezing the smaller tightly to ensure that the younger knew that there was someone there holding him. That motion succeeded in halting the gathering of the Rukh which indicated that Aladdin noticed him, well he hoped so.

'Warm. It's warm,' Aladdin began to think for the first time since he started the slaughter. Why did he have his hand up in the air? He blinked, trying to recollect his memories. No, nothing. The only thing that registered in his mind was that he wasn't cold anymore. It felt so warm now. Aladdin finally closed his eyes slowly and laid his head onto the shoulder of the person that embraced him. Inhaling the familiar scent, he recognized it. His raised hand dropped back down and his legs gave up as he fell further into the embrace. Ah, so tired.

'Thank goodness' was Judal's immediate thought when Aladdin finally collapsed in his hold. For now, he was fine. He brushed away several strands of hair from Aladdin's forehead as he watched the child's sleeping face. Whatever that had happened really worn the child out. He gave one last stroke on the child's hair before he collected Aladdin in his arms.

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"Kassim is the real leader of the Fog Troupe. He was my friend during my childhood days." Alibaba mentioned and his eyes brightened, recalling the times they had as children. He even supressed a chuckle when he told about the time they fooled around, racing to the top of the 'mountain'. He would always find a way to dig a tunnel here and there in order to snatch the flag from the hand of Kassim who by no means was the winner for every race.

They argued a lot. They fought a lot too but despite all those, they were still friends. They would run around the garbage-filled streets together every day. Life was hard but Alibaba had a caring mother at home. She was just a prostitute in the slums but she was always laughing and their life together was joyful. However, it was different for Kassim. His father was a good-for-nothing loser. He hit his own children when they failed to get him what he wanted and life was hard for both him and his sister, Mariam.

And then, one day, Kassim's father disappeared from the slums. Since that happened frequently down in the slums, no one actually cared. Alibaba's mother kindly took in the both of them and the four of them became a family. Every day was loud and lively and fun but that didn't last long.

Before long, Alibaba's mother died of an illness. Thinking back, Alibaba scoffed at himself for being so weak that he couldn't do anything but cry. Kassim was different. He didn't cry and he swore to protect them both.

From that day on, they worked together and they tried really hard. The three of them scavenged through the trash, shone shoes and gave tours. Not long after, Kassim fell in with a bad group of kids and turned to thievery. Alibaba didn't blame Kassim. He was probably pretty desperate to make sure that they all survived. That was why, one day, Alibaba decided to offer him his help.

"You don't need to dirty your hands. You're no like me. I share the same blood as that loser of a father so I'm rotten by nature but you're not. You should live a respectable life, just like your mom did." Back then when Kassim left those words to him, he was confused for Kassim acted kind of strange that day.

"Hey, we're friends right?" Without a doubt, Alibaba said yes. Of course they were friends. It was true that they fought a lot but those were minor thingy.

That day, the king of Balbadd came down to the slums. Trust me, Alibaba still held the disbelief within him when the king said that Alibaba was his son. From the king, he learned that her mother, Anise was once a maid at the royal palace where the king met her and fell in love with her at first sight.

Being a friend he was, Alibaba told Kassim all about it. What Kassim said made his heart fall. He told him that they were different and had always been since birth. Kassim told him to get out of there. At that time, Alibaba was enraged. He tackled Kassim to the ground and landed punches on him with the thought that Kassim would stop him from either punching him or leaving. He was Alibaba's family, damn it! He never did stop him. So, in the end, Alibaba left the slums.

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Aladdin could be very messy if he wanted to. Judal stared down at the child when he set him down carefully onto the magic carpet. Many parts of the child were covered with blood that was definitely not his. Seeing the frown on the child's sleeping face, he reached out to try and smoothen it, wondering what in the world had happened in his short (for him it was quite long) absence.

Without a second thought, he leaned down until his forehead touched the child's. It was an ability they shared; to show each other's the memories and thought or sometime even feelings if those emotions were strong enough regarding certain matters or events that happened in the past. They did this when they didn't want to talk about certain things or were just too lazy to.

Judal dived deep down into Aladdin's mind. It was usually peaceful and neat but now it was chaotic and messy. He sent his will out, hoping that the younger would show him what exactly had made him so lost. After a moment of deliberation, the space shifted and shook before finally revealed the information the elder yearned.

Judal could see the pure bliss on the child's face when he made his first friend. He could feel the leap of Aladdin's heart when the very same blonde made the promise with him. No wonder Aladdin was so excited to see him again and Judal couldn't halt his lips which curved into a small smile at the sight of the child's genuine smiling face.

Everything flashed in a blur and Judal found himself in Balbadd. He watched as a bystander at the reunion and finally heard every word the blonde left him. Judal didn't need to guess what the child was feeling for those feeling; the pain, hurt, sadness and surprisingly regret came crashing down on him at once like waves. It wasn't a surprise. Who would feel hurt when your very first friend said something like that to you? All the expectation and enthusiasm Aladdin had in the blonde had done nothing to ease those pain.

He tried his best not to drown in the sheer emotion waves.

'So, that's what happened,' Judal concluded and withdrew himself from the younger's mind before he was swept away in the mist of the turmoil of pure emotions.

He blinked, panted and looked. He made it back. Moving as gently as he could, he detached his forehead away from Aladdin's forehead. The younger whimpered at the loss of the pressure. Judal pressed one of his hands over Aladdin's closed eyes and whispered, "Shh, it's fine now. Everything will be fine."

The whimper ceased and Judal kept his hand on the child just in case, his own red eyes glued to the night sky. Human was really foolish creature. They held so much power that with words alone they hurt others. Judal recalled the cold, bitter feeling he felt from Aladdin. It hurt so much that he just wanted to tear it away. It must be a lot harder to bear for a child no matter how powerful he was.

That was it. The blonde would be a dead man when they met. He would die slowly and painfully. Judal would make sure of it. Surely, he **would** make sure of it.

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'Alibaba is the prince of Balbadd, an illegitimate child of the late king of Balbadd? Now this's really unexpected turn of event,' Sinbad thought before his attention reverted back to Alibaba who described the change in his life in which he had maids to tend to his every needs and harsh lessons to go through every day. Well, that was necessary for a prince anyway.

Swordsmanship, languages, manners, studies and so on were on the list to-be-learnt for Alibaba. Just like that three years went by. The days he had in the slums faded into a distant memory. Until one night, Alibaba felt the urge to visit the slums once again and so he secretly snuck out of the palace. That was deemed to be a wrong move and Alibaba regretted it up until now.

The slums weren't there anymore. The place was cleared and remodelled but not a single person from the slums was to be seen. He wandered for a while longer and he ran into him, Kassim, his friend and family.

Alibaba really needed to work on his drinking skill. He was so happy that Kassim greeted him and treated him to a drink. However, after a few drinks later, Alibaba was feeling a little bit lightheaded and they talked, talked and talked. Alibaba apologized for punching Kassim. Kassim shrugged it off like nothing.

He never felt more ashamed of himself for leaving his guard down. He blurted out how he snuck out the palace and that was through a tunnel he dug. He even boasted about his ability to dig tunnel. What he failed to notice that time was the slight dark look in Kassim's eyes at that split moment.

He had felt so happy when Kassim said that they were still friends and he was convinced that Kassim actually wanted the best for him which was why he didn't realize that Kassim ordered someone to follow him secretly as he returned to the palace.

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Judal felt the eyelashes brushing against his palms so he removed his hand. His hand froze mid-air when he saw that the eyes that looked up at him were a pair of icy red. Now, this wasn't normal. Aladdin bumped his head against the palm before he sat upright.

"You saw what happened, right?" was the first thing that escaped the closed lips. Judal gave a nod while the child set his head down onto his crossed legs. Aladdin stared up at the elder with his heavy lidded eyes. Judal met his gaze and he waited patiently for some response but still none.

Judal sighed and patted the child on the head. "It's fine if you don't want to speak of it now but promise to tell me about it later, okay?"

Aladdin's eyes widened and the red hue flickered, flashing the soft blue for a second before the child smiled and gave a small weak nod. His small hands slowly cupped the elder's cheek and they glowed for a while. The glow soon faded and Aladdin dropped his arms down unceremoniously.

Judal didn't want to admit that he was surprised when Aladdin's hands came up to his face. He could feel the warmth from the tiny palms when they glowed. At the same time, the cut he got from Aladdin's attack closed up. By the time the palms left his face, he felt a strong desire to grab them so that he could feel the warmth again but he couldn't. He wasn't so selfish to not let the child rest properly. It didn't require multiple looks to tell that the child was tired.

Touching his cheek softly, he was amazed that there wasn't even a single scratch left. For once, he thought that healing magic was actually not so annoyingly useless.

"Thanks and sleep. You need it," Judal whispered and obediently the scarlet orbs slipped close with one last sigh of content before the younger's breathing eased into soft snores.

"Don't worry. I'll protect you no matter what."

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Alibaba shuddered suddenly. Strange, he thought that he was used to Balbadd's night wind. He continued to tell Sinbad and the others about the king's illness a while after the meeting with Kassim. Alibaba was called to the bedside of the ailing king.

The king said that he didn't have much longer and that he would leave the country to him. Alibaba knew that he had to grab the chance to ask something that he had wanted to ask for a while now and it was about his mother. What exactly did the king feel about his mother?

From the tone of the king, Alibaba realized the genuine love flowing and the sorrow for not being able to be together because they had too many obligations. He loved her.

It was no long after the conversation that Alibaba heard the grunts of pain from outside. Excusing himself to see what was going on, he remembered how tense his body felt when he saw the familiar figure of the man he called friend.

"Kassim!" It was all he could manage when a stick connected to the back of his head, knocking him down. His consciousness wavered and before him stood Kassim. After ordering his men to tie him up and left him there, he saw the fire burning and he could feel the heat against his face. He also saw the king of Balbadd upstairs, staring down at the burning treasury. The king didn't stand long. He clutched his chest as if in pain and sank to the ground.

Kassim, his friend had used the tunnels that Alibaba had told him about that night to steal the treasures from the palace. Alibaba's heart felt heavy when he saw with his very eyes, the person he called a friend standing in front of the towering inferno and so Alibaba finally faded to the darkness, not bearing to perceive the scene much longer.

Kassim was a friend, a very important one. They played along, worked together but now everything was different. Kassim betrayed him.

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Back at the base, Kassim was staring longingly at the tree when someone announced the disappearance of the leader.

"Gather the men," Kassim ordered. "We'll get him back."

* * *

**URGENT NOTICE!**

**This year will be an extremely important year for me. So, I won't be able to keep up the weekly routine. HOWEVER, it's not like I won't update. It'll only take longer to do so. Therefore, I'm sorry and please have patience~**

**Signed,**

_**ReneeNCC**_


	12. Chapter 12 : A Prince's Duty

**Chapter 12 : A Prince's Duty**

_Duty, Honor, Country. Those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be, what you can be, what you will be._ **Douglas MacArthur**

"When I regained consciousness, I learned that the king had passed away and I ran from Balbadd." That was about all Alibaba had gone through in Balbadd before he was hired by the Oasis City military. Sinbad tapped on his chin as he listened to Alibaba's story. He couldn't say that he agreed completely with how the teen handled things.

"I had always been fascinated by the dungeons and it was around this time that I started to dream about finding one and getting rich off the treasures inside," Alibaba continued. He knew that he sounded pretty much irresponsible now but he was afraid to face the truth and he was too much of a coward back then so all he did was dream. He dreamed to conquer a dungeon but he never did anything to achieve the dream. Even when he did find one, all he ever did was to stare at it longingly. To him, it was all a farfetched idea much like a child talking about being the greatest hero of all times.

He lived everyday barely getting by. It was until he met him that he changed; a mysterious young child that popped into his life. That was right! He hadn't seen the child since he ended up here. Mor did say that she was bringing him to Aladdin but where was him? Alibaba couldn't deny the feeling of guilt when his eyes once again travelled through the room. He must have hurt him with those words and he cursed himself for it but he couldn't drag the child into this mess. It was his responsibility and his to bear alone.

"I see…" A voice reminded Alibaba of the occupants in the room. His eyes naturally moved to stop at the king who was having a stern look on his face.

"There is still something I don't understand," Morgiana suddenly said from the side and that earned the attentions of the occupants as they glanced at the girl. "If it's as you've said, Kassim betrayed you. Why would you be a part of his Fog Troupe?" Now, that was a good question. The others looked on as Alibaba once again bowed his head low and for a second, there was a heavy silence.

"After we captured Amon's dungeon, I wanted to set off on a new path, a right path but I wanted to take responsibility for my previous mistake first, so I returned to Balbadd," Alibaba explained. He closed his eyes as he told them what he had found there. The town, the people and the country looked so dead in his eyes and he recalled the sickening feeling and the churning of the stomach when he first saw it. It was a mess. Balbadd was a mess.

He felt responsible for this when he knew that after the former king died, a group of thieves has surfaced, running ruckus all over the country. He didn't know if it was a mistake to return as that foggy night, their fate collided and there he was; Kassim with his back facing him as he stood high in the burning ship, watching as the fire devoured the ship. Many people ran past him but he paid heed to none. His eyes remained glued on the back of the familiar figure.

"K-kassim." He recalled the shaky voice he used when he called out the name as the said person walked down and noticed him.

"Kassim," Morgiana gasped and her eyes narrowed. Alibaba paused in his talk to glance at the girl before he nodded; a bitter smile crept onto his face.

"Yeah, at first I thought he was the guy throwing this country into chaos too. But after talking to him, I realized how wrong I was," Alibaba trailed off. His eyes grew dull and he intertwined his fingers. "The one really at fault here is the government."

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Alibaba couldn't believe his ears when he was informed of whose grave under the tree belonged to. Mariam was dead, had been since the year after he had left for the palace. Apparently, there was an epidemic that swept through the slums. Rather than pretending they didn't know about it, the government tried to hide it and completely closed off the slums. They had received no help at all, no doctor, no medicine, not even food! People died and Mariam unfortunately was one of them. She started to throw out blood, heaved, coughed and experienced so much pain…

Alibaba sank to his knees in front of the grave. Mariam. This wasn't fair. She deserved to live a happy life. She was such a nice girl. She deserved life. Alibaba couldn't take it. He yelled and screamed at Kassim. He said that they were all fine, every one of them. Why did he lie to him?

Kassim too was furious, grabbing Alibaba by his collar to hoist him up from the ground.

"What could I say? Did you want me to say they all died? That the country killed them all? Huh, Your Highness?" Kassim shouted and pushed Alibaba away. "After the epidemic died down, they cleaned the slums by burning everything to ashes. Watching that, I realized something. This country thinks of us as nothing more than trash. That's why I created the Fog Troupe to fight back; to fight for our lives before the country cuts us down!"

This was wrong. Alibaba reminded Kassim of the fact that despite all the struggles, thieves were still thieves. One day, they would get caught and nothing would be resolved. Kassim didn't take that well. He knew the consequences but he didn't know what else to do. Then, all of the sudden as if a light bulb was lit, Kassim looked up. His eyes glittered and he let out a laugh.

"Wait, that's right!" Kassim moved his hands to grab Alibaba by his shoulders. "Alibaba, join the Fog Troupe! No, not even! Become our leader! With a prince as our leader, we were no longer outlaws!"

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Sinbad resisted the temptation to roll his eyes. It seemed that Alibaba was been used by the fellow named Kassim. Alibaba was too naïve, knowing full well that Kassim had betrayed him, he still let him do as he wanted. Naivety was not all that bad but in situation like this it was proven to be a downfall.

Alibaba was ranting about how he gained people's support and with that he would find a right time to talk with Ahbmad.

"Then, may I ask, if your idea doesn't go according to plan, what will you do?" Sinbad questioned and Alibaba froze on spot. His eyes went wide when he recalled Kassim's joke about starting a war but he knew he couldn't start a war. He wanted things to end peacefully but if things decided to go against him, what would he do? What exactly should he do?

"But there's nothing I can do about that! This country is so messed up now! Someone has to do something! I know this isn't the right way to do things, but I…I…I don't know what to do anymore!" Alibaba let out all in one breath. Sinbad frowned but at the very least, Alibaba still had a general idea that what he did was incorrect. That alone eased him a bit. However, with the state Alibaba was in now, completely overwhelmed by his emotions, could be a hindrance to further talk.

"Calm down," Sinbad stated but it did nothing much. Alibaba was yelling for them to get out of Balbadd. Mor, deciding that it was enough, gave him a light punch on the head.

"Ow!" He cried. Sinbad gave a grateful smile at the female before sobered and turned towards Alibaba.

"The problems this country is facing are indeed troublesome but it'll be fine if you let me help," Sinbad assured the teen. Alibaba didn't mean to gape but it was hard not to so he stared dumbly at the king before him. Sinbad could feel Ja'far shifting behind him as if biting back a comment or resisting the urge to simply slam his fist down at him.

"Is that fine, Alibaba?" Sinbad asked. The teen before him blinked and he felt his resolve wavered. However, before the king could hear any reply from the blonde, a sudden wind came and the wall behind Alibaba crumbled.

"Yo! Sorry for the wait. We've come to rescue you, partner."

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Aladdin didn't feel quite right. He blinked and opened his eyes to find himself back there; in the dark space but this time, he was directly in front of the light rather than amidst the darkness. Drawn by an unknown force, he stood and ventured into the darkness. His steps were unstable and wobbly while his mind was clouded with the emotions he felt during that reunion. The darkness sang as it received the child while the light wept for his departure.

"_Stop."_ From the light, the same voice rang. Aladdin would have stopped under normal circumstance, but for now he couldn't. He just continued forward, deeper into the darkness.

Seeing the sight of the retreating figure of Aladdin, there was a silence before. Then, suddenly a thin thread shot out and coiled around the child's wrist. That successfully halted the child momentarily. Aladdin turned slowly; his eyes were weary and lidded when he trailed the thread back to the light. The light blended and shone brightly. For a moment there, Aladdin jolted and a bit of consciousness returned to him. His dull red eyes flickered to life for a moment. However, that moment was not long lived.

The darkness hissed and the light was neutralised, tuned down. With a clear snap, the darkness snapped the thread connecting the child to the light. Along with the snap, Aladdin's consciousness faded. His eyes dulled once more and he casted one last look at the light before he sank into the darkness. What he was unaware of was the remaining shinning thread that was still winded around his wrist.

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Sinbad could hear screams and shouts from downstairs. People were panicking and it was not a good sign. He was debating on helping the others down there or stopping the teen from escaping.

"No one told me we were going to attack this hotel!" Alibaba protested.

"Fool, if we don't get them, they'll get us! Sinbad is here…in this hotel," the leader of the newcomers, Kassim announced as he moved to hold the stunned Alibaba by the arm. Sinbad narrowed his glance at him for he clearly didn't realise that the said person was there before him.

"Watch out." Sinbad heard Alibaba yell and the next moment Morgiana came crashing down at the place they were standing previously.

"This way," Alibaba said, pulling Kassim's hand and they made their way upstairs. Sinbad cursed under his breath. However, Mor gave him a sideway nod and he caught on of the message as the female leaped to follow the escaping duo.

"Masrur! Ja'far!" Sinbad called and they both nodded in response. They would take care of the other thieves downstairs while Mor held them as long as she could.

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"What in the world?" Judal commented when he came close to the hotel they were staying. It was such a mess. What could have happened? Noticing the group of men fighting below, he intended to get down and join in the fun but Aladdin needed rest and the midst of a battle didn't sound like an ideal spot for resting.

That was when Judal sensed it; a faint sense of dungeon capturer. Sinbad didn't have any of his metal vessels with him so Judal highly doubted that it was him. Therefore, there left only one possible candidate and Judal could feel his blood boil at his realisation. He clenched his fist tight to calm himself and to prevent himself from charging right towards that person, Miracle Man Alibaba.

"What's the matter?" A soft voice asked. Judal blinked and instantly his fists unclenched, his gaze softened upon the sight of the child lying in his laps.

"No, it's nothing to be worry about. It's just that the hotel seems to be…a little bit occupied," Judal answered, deciding on the right words to summarise the whole situation. Aladdin raised an eyebrow at that before he shrugged it off. It didn't really matter what happened to the hotel, just got him a bed and some soft pillow as well as a warm blanket. That was all he cared now. Too tired to even find out what was going on.

Judal watched as Aladdin returned to his slumber and let out a sigh. He couldn't play now. He would have to find a place to let the child rest and of course to get rid of all that blood. There was no choice now. That stinky palace would do. Piloting the carpet so that it was headed towards the palace of Balbadd, he tossed another glance at the direction of the hotel.

"Next time," Judal swore. "I'll definitely 'play' with you, o little dungeon capturer."

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"Get them! They are a bunch of rich pansies!"

Sinbad reached the hall to find it to be a complete chaos. A female leader noticed him and commanded the thieves to attack. The arrows were loosened but they were the least of his worries as Masrur lifted the heavy table to block the offending weapons.

Ja'far used the opportunity to disarm the thieves as they were taken aback. His knifes whooshed past them and their weapons were scattered.

"Sin!"

"Leave it to me!" Nodding, Sinbad leaped over the lifted object. His sword collided with the one held by a still armed thief. Sparks flew and they were engaged in a war of strength as the blades trembled.

"You attack this place knowing who I am and that I was going to be here," Sinbad stated.

"Of course, o great Sinbad!" The thief yelled mockingly before he smirked. His golden sword emitted a strange mist and the sword Sinbad held was quickly corroded by it.

"Oh goodness! You're so helpless!" Ja'far voiced from behind, watching his king throw away his already useless sword while trying to dodge the corrosive blade. Feeling a bit insulted, Sinbad barked, "Shut up!"

Evading several more slices of the dangerous blade, he finally saw an opening. Smirking, the king pushed himself forward and his hands landed on the man's abdomen.

"What was that move?" The thief mocked as he backed away, holding the injured section. Suddenly, he choked and coughed out blood. That sight sent terror and shock among the thieves.

"Hassan!" The female thief shouted when the man fell to the ground.

"You made me waste my magoi," Sinbad commented and looked up, wondering if Morgiana would be fine dealing with them. Now that most of the thieves were disarmed and taken care of, it was time to move upwards.

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"What are you going to do, Alibaba? They are still a group of thieves!" Morgiana asked as she tried to seal their escape route.

"Shut up, you monster!" Kassim bellowed and Morgiana twitched, feeling a bit insulted by the comment. Seemed to her that Kassim was pretty confident when it came to battle and Morgiana couldn't help but frowned.

Soon, the floor they stood rumbled and here came Sinbad and his group. Several thieves were sent flying because of the entrance but they didn't really care about that.

"Stand strong!" Kassim ordered. "Get them!"

"Yeah!" The thieves cheered as they gathered the weapons in their hands. Sinbad kept a straight face at them, folding his arms in front of his chest as Ja'far continued to dust himself.

"Masrur."

"Yes Sir," the large man replied and took his stance. In the next moment, the thieves in front of him were shattered here and there as he dashed forward. Kassim had this look of total shock on his face whereas Morgiana's eyes widened at the display. He even left a trail behind him.

"You went a little overboard, Masrur," Sinbad commented lightly as the man returned to his side. Kassim who had gotten over the shock was glaring daggers at the trio.

"Who are you guys?" He demanded.

"What do you mean? Did you come here looking for me?" Sinbad said, his arms still stayed leisurely before his chest.

"I see. So you're Sinbad!" Kassim glared at the king and his sword responded to his anger. Dark mist circled the blade before the mist shot out to coil around the king, trapping him within.

"What's this stuff?" Sinbad examined the mist curiously as if it was nothing more than a new toy.

"The more you struggle, the tighter it'll bind you," Kassim provided helpfully all the while threatening and daring him to move. Morgiana tensed, mumbling something about having to save him but Ja'far refused her help. His face was calm and collected. His trust in his king never wavered despite the situation Sinbad was in.

Not betraying the trust, Sinbad's hands glowed underneath the heavy mist. The mist dispersed as the glow increased in strength.

"No way!" Kassim gasped in disbelief, watching the trapped king stand as his mist was redeemed useless.

"His title as High King of the Seven Seas isn't just for show," Ja'far assured.

"Such a weak magical item won't affect me," Sinbad smirked. After all, he had met tons of strange occurrences as well as weird mysterious items. Things of this level wouldn't prove to be a trouble to him.

Kassim cursed. Losing his weapon was like losing his reason. He charged forward with the blade in his hand, refusing to let things end like this. He was, as expected handled by Masrur who twisted his arm to apprehend the teen.

"Kassim!" Alibaba hollered anxiously.

"Now, once I capture you, my job here will be done," Sinbad said and drew his blade, pointing it at Alibaba. "Right, Miracle Man Alibaba? Let's settle this as leaders. What do you say?"

To fight with the legendary Dungeon Capturer, Sinbad was equal to suicide. That was an unspoken truth. Alibaba could feel sweats lingering down his chin and he gulped nervously. What should he do now?

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Judal never liked to be in the palace of Balbadd. If you excluded the greedy king and royalties, it actually made a great place to live in. Not to mention the amount of people trying to falter him in order to get to their goals as he walked down the hall with Aladdin safely secured on his back. He would have gladly bit them if not for Markkio. It appeared that he still had some plans for them.

Sighing, he detached the child from his back. After he had cleaned the child and changed him into a new set of cloth, he came to a conclusion; blood wasn't the easiest thing to get off. Judal laid Aladdin on the bed of the guest room the king kindly provided before he laid his head beside the sleeping child.

His finger made their ways to the blue, silky hair which was set loose a moment ago. Judal stared and sighed. Boredom had somehow crept back but he didn't regret his decision to delay the plan to play. There was still much time left to mess with them after all.

Figuring that the child would probably sleep for a long time, he shifted and made himself comfortable on the bed. Before his eyes closed, his arms moved to round the small child and he fell asleep with the comfortable warmth in his arms.

However, he didn't notice the slight twitch of the child. The younger's scarlet eyes flew open. Staring at the sleeping elder who had him in an embrace, he let a small smile past his face. This time only, he would not think of all the complicated things that had occurred. He would forget the troubles that he knew would come. He would try and relax, just like this, in the arms of his brother.

"Sorry," Aladdin apologised even though he knew that Judal might not hear him. He had caused so many troubles for the elder and he felt the need to apologise, not only for now but for the times he messed up before too. Although Judal would complain every now and then, he never failed to get him out of trouble. Judal indeed made a great brother though sometimes he was childish and acted like a total child.

Aladdin was grateful for his existence. Through the elder's existence alone, he knew that he wasn't really alone. He still had someone he could rely upon. Carrying those thoughts, Aladdin once again drifted into sleep with his head nuzzled against Judal's chest.

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"Run for it, Alibaba!" Kassim screamed. Even he knew that no one there was able to match Sinbad. "Men! Make sure our leader makes it out alive!"

"I see. You have that option as well," Sinbad mused. How could he possibly miss that option? "Either way, the Fog Troupe is doomed, but you are different from the likes of them." Sinbad pointed out, turning his sword against Kassim before he averted the path of the sword back towards Alibaba.

"If you want to run, run. They're all people from the slums but you're not. Even if you pretend to be one of them, you can't escape the fact that you're a prince," Sinbad reminded.

"Shut up!" Alibaba shouted suddenly. He didn't want to hear it. He didn't want to admit it. Even though he was Sinbad, he didn't have the right to talk as if he knew him. There was dozens of things the king didn't know him of. "I'm no different from them. They're all my brothers and sisters! Don't you make fun of the bond we shared!"

"Spirit of propriety and discipline, I command thee and thine. With my magoi as your source, use your great power to bring my will to life! Come forth, Amon!" He chanted and as a response, the seal on his knife shone. Blazing flames escaped from within the blade and he held his ground. He would beat him! He had to. It didn't matter if he was Sinbad. As long as he still had power, the Fog Troupe would not end. He wouldn't allow it to end like this.

The flame increased in strength and lighted the dark sky with its blaze. So, this was the fire Djinn, Amon. Sinbad had to place his sword in front of him to shield himself from the flame. He could feel the unbearable heat greeting his cheeks as the fire danced.

In an instant, Alibaba moved. He stepped forward and sliced his sword at Sinbad, quick and furious. Sinbad evaded his attack and blocked them numerously with his own sword. Their weapons sang as the two metals crashed with each other. Sinbad had to admit that Alibaba was quite good at Balbadd's royal sword style as well as combining his moves with Amon's flames. Pulling his sword up, he parted the flame that was trying to devour him.

Alibaba gritted his teeth and used the opening he managed to glimpse. His knife shot up and Sinbad's sword was removed from his hand. Alibaba leaped, positively sure that he had left Sinbad unable to defence against his attack. Coated with flames, he brought his trusted knife down upon the king.

Then, it happened. His flames were like the burning lights of the candles that had been extinguished by a breath of air. They vanished when Sinbad got hold of his wrist. He didn't have time to ponder on the reason his flames had gone out for pain immediately erupted through his abdomen. He dropped face first to the ground.

"Alibaba!" Kassim exclaimed, trying to move forward as much as the strong hold allowed him to.

Alibaba heard his call but he couldn't move. It hurt too much. He could perceive Sinbad's words on his lack of understanding regarding the method of using a Djinn. Alibaba could do nothing but apologised. He coughed and panted. Why did he have to be so damn weak?

"Damn it!" Kassim cursed. "Why did you have to show up here? This has nothing to do with Sindria! If it weren't for you, we'd still be undefeated!"

"If you didn't have someone on the inside leaking information to you, you wouldn't be able to do anything! Know your place, you foolish weakling! You've involved all those around you in a fight you can't win. You're just leading them to their doom!" Sinbad lectured, clearly showing the fact that he knew all along that there was supporter within the government of Balbadd.

"If they were caught, what will happen to them?" Morgiana asked. The fight clearly had ended. It was their victory.

"It may be harsh, but the fact of a rebel is to die by the noose," Ja'far replied; his eyes still fixated on the scene before him.

"But if you still desire to fight, even knowing all of that, then there is one path left to you," Sinbad declared. Ja'far looked at the king with confusion. What was the king planning to do now?

"You must gain what it is you lack. In other words, you must allow me to join the Fog Troupe!" Sinbad continued. Ja'far thought that he heard him wrongly. His king didn't just say that he wanted to join the group of thieves, did he?

"Sin, you're going to join the Fog Troupe?" Ja'far had to make sure and he prayed that it was only a mistake but knowing the king, it was unlikely so.

"Yeah." See, I told you.

"And fight with them?"

"Yeah."

"Against the government of Balbadd?"

"Yeah!" Sometimes, Ja'far just wanted to strangle him. How could he say that? It was absurd and beyond normal. Ja'far voiced his protest against the act, reminding their job to defeat the Fog Troupe in order to reopen the trade.

"But I want to support the Fog Troupe." Oh, goodness. Ja'far hysterically protested while Sinbad sighed. What the hell was he sighing for? Ja'far should be the one sighing here. Dealing with this king was proven to be the hardest job in his life, especially with the way the king spoke.

In a few seconds, the table turned and he was accused for being cold-hearted, for not caring the terrible things that happened in this country. Why did it turn out like this? Lesson learnt. If you didn't want to be accused for being a bad guy, let a crazy king did his thingy, even though it was not supposed to be like that. Trust me you just couldn't win against this guy.

Not only Ja'far, Alibaba and the other thieves all shared the same feeling of shock and disbelief. It was not every day you met such an interesting guy.

"So do you think you could let me join, Alibaba?" Sinbad asked, approaching Alibaba.

"Sorry, but I've seen too much to fall for something like that," Alibaba stated. Who would believe someone, who was fighting you a moment ago when he suddenly claimed to want to be a help to you? Heck, the man himself was unbelievable.

"If I said I just wanted to help people of this country, you still wouldn't believe me?" Well, that was quite convincing but not enough. "I have other reasons as well and that is to stop the abnormalities that are happening around the world."

Alibaba gaped in utter confusion. What was he talking about now?

"Have you not notice them? In recent years, wars have been happening with much greater frequency, poverty and discrimination have become worse than ever. The world is becoming covered in chaos. As the King of Sindria, I am very concerned about the current situation of things. I want to resolve the internal strife in Balbadd because it is one of these abnormalities. How is that reason?" Now, that was more like it, a whole lot more convincing.

"Don't let him fool you!" Well, at least it didn't sound all that convincing for someone. "What would a king want to do with us? Those up there like him would love it if little, dirty, peasant folk like us all starved to death! As long as he could continue living his own comfy, cushy life! Am I wrong, o great Sinbad?"

That was too much coming from the mouth of Kassim. Ja'far's blade went past Kassim, narrowly missing him by a few centimetres. Kassim was so shocked that he fell onto the ground.

"Shut up." Now, you had done it. Nobody liked to deal with a furious Ja'far, especially when his eyes narrowed into a slit. He regained his knife and he went forward to grab Kassim up by his collar. His knife dangerously close to the other's neck. "A petty thief like you knows nothing of the scars Sin bears, the sacrifices Sin has made…"

Ja'far was no being himself at the moment. His wire wound around his hand and his knife hung by his hand. Not even bothered to finish his sentence, the knife was descended upon Kassim…until it was stopped by a familiar pair of hands.

"Ja'far, stop." The smooth, baritone voice brought Ja'far back to his sense and he apologised for been carried away by his emotion. Even a nice person could turn into a raging demon if given enough provocation. That was another lesson learnt.

"I get it. Stop," Alibaba finally spoke. He stood before Kassim protectively for fear of whatever Sinbad's group would do.

"So, you'll let me join? Thanks," Sinbad thanked with a smile hanging on his lips. Alibaba seemed further baffled for a king to act this way while Kassim twitched. His teeth gritted in disapproval and his eyes flared hate but he couldn't do anything about it now.

"Well, let's get straight to business. Alibaba, I want you to come with me to the royal palace." Sinbad really wasn't known from being one who beat around the bushes. Alibaba was having a hard time getting use to the fast pace Sinbad was taking. "You said that once you earned the support of the people, you would reveal your identity and talk with Ahbmad, right? Now is the perfect time for that. As the leader of the Fog Troupe, you've already gained the support of the people and I will support your claim as a prince of Balbadd."

"Why?" Alibaba croaked. The king's action didn't make sense. Why would one wanted to go through such length for the sake of this country? It wasn't even his country to begin with.

"I'm an old friend of the late king and I can see his resemblance in you. You are, without a doubt, a prince of Balbadd and as a prince, you carry a heavy responsibility, don't you?" That summarized it. This king was crazy and beyond comprehension. I meant it in a good way.

"You agreed with this, don't you Kassim? If the negotiations go well, we'll be able to protect the lives of those living in the slums. That's your goal, isn't it?"

"Whatever," Kassim surrendered. There was not much he could do about the situation and this man, King of Sindria irked him to no end. The quicker he was out of his sight, the better. Alibaba glanced forward with a bit hesitation. Could he really do it? He wondered. However, at that moment, Aladdin's words echoed in his ears. _"You're a brave person."_

He knew what to do now. His eyes shone with determination that was stronger than his flames.

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Food offered in the Balbadd's palace sucked. Judal couldn't help but noticed this. Although they claimed the food there was of the highest quality of the country, it still tasted funny. Maybe, it was just him. But, to clarify things, it was not like he disliked every one of the food here in Balbadd. He remembered some fresh fruits and exotic delicacies offered out in one of the streets of Balbadd that tasted great. He should probably get some for Aladdin as well. The younger would definitely complain about how the palace food tasted despite being the glutton he was. It was a miracle that the child hadn't turn fat due to his heavy intake of food.

The child had been sleeping for a long time now (or so he thought) and he still showed no sign of waking up any time soon. Rolling out of bed lazily, Judal fixed his hair and clothes, happy that they didn't get all tangled up during his sleep.

Time to hunt for food. Judal marched to the window and leaped out of it. Now, where did he get the food again? This was going to take a while.

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'Attention all those who are discontented, gather today at noon at the royal palace. Today, with all of you as my witnesses, I will gain an audience with King Ahbmad and discuss the future of this country until a satisfactory answer can be reached.' This was what the notice read. People rounded the message as they were filled with disbelief until they read the final signature that said, 'Signed, Leader of the Fog Troupe, Miracle Man Alibaba and Third Prince of Balbadd, Alibaba Saluja.'

"Miracle Man Alibaba is a prince?"

"That's really a miracle!"

Soon, the crowd was engaged in a heated discussion and every one of them was filled with excitement and anticipation regarding what was going to happen that day. As expected, they went and gathered by the wall of the royal palace, determined not to miss the chance to see the possible change to this devastating country.

Alibaba wasn't really sure how to react when he saw that much people gathering outside. He never expected it to be that many of them. It might be as Sinbad said; their numbers were the solid proof of the despair felt at the reign of the current king and the hope they had in him.

"Let their voice be your strength," Sinbad advised. Alibaba knew and he would do so even without Sinbad's reminder. Alright, he would have to do this right.

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"So, you're the one who caused this fuss, Sinbad?" Ahbmad sat lazily on his throne. He wasn't exactly happy about the crowd that gathered at the front of the palace. They were noisy and he had guests to attend to.

Sinbad expressed that he wouldn't interfere. The matter was to be settled between them.

"Brother Ahbmad," Alibaba braced himself as he stood forward. Ahbmad didn't really feel like hearing the blabbing from Alibaba but he obliged as Sahbmad advised him to do so, saying that he must have his reason for he was a sensible guy. Whatever the reason was, it was still all a nuisance.

"Brother, I'm sure you're already aware but the incident with the royal treasury was my fault. As such, I also bear the blame for father's death. I know that I committed an unforgivable crime…" Alibaba admitted. "But, I want you to think about why the Fog Troupe attacked the royal treasury that day and why the people are all gathering at the royal palace today! Your citizens are suffering!"

The fat king had a disgusted look on his face but Alibaba paid no heed to that as he continued, "Brother Ahbmad, I ask you as the King of this country, please promise me that you'll do everything in your power to protect the lives of its people. If you do, then I promise to disband the Fog Troupe!"

"Is that all you wanted to say?" Ahbmad said, giving the floor a knock with his staff. The guards responded by marching forward with their weapons in their hands as if trying to haul Alibaba out.

"Wait! Is this a promise?" Alibaba voiced. His hands gripped the weapons to prevent them from slamming into him.

"Insolence. You brat of common birth, do not dare to speak without permission in front of the king," Ahbmad declared proudly. "I am the 23rd King of Balbadd, Ahbmad Saluja. I have never considered you, something we picked up from the slums, as my brother. Do not forget, if it were not for the protection of the King of Sindria, your head would have long been severed from your shoulders."

Huh? This arrogant king! He never did treat Alibaba as his brother, no, not even as a fellow human being. He thought of him as a thrash, a burden, anything but human.

"Now leave! I don't feel well," Ahbmad shooed. As if to strengthen his point, he placed a hand on his forehead. "There are maggots swarming the palace grounds…"

"Screw you!" Alibaba didn't want to act all nice and good now. "Someone who speaks of his people like that has no right to be king!" If not for the guards, he would have strangled Ahbmad to death by now.

"Oh my, what's all the commotion?" A voice suddenly rang through the hall.

"Oh, you have returned, Banker."

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"What's with this swarm of people?" Judal was beginning to think that time flowed differently whenever he went out for something. He was sure he wasn't out that long and here he was, facing the suffocating crowd that suddenly gathered out of nowhere. Juggling the food in his hands, he proceeded to make his way through the crowd. To quicken his pace, he sent the black Rukh out to help. Ah, he so disliked crowd.

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Aladdin had always thought that dreams had their own meanings. He had dreamt so many times now of the familiar settings and the nostalgic scenes. However, what he saw in his dream today was different. It was dark and cold. When he listened carefully, he could hear whispers. He felt that he had been bounded for he couldn't move an inch even though he tried to. He couldn't see a thing even when he squirmed.

"To be able to gain complete control over…"

"We'll have to do that…"

Those were the whispers he heard and for some unknown reasons, his body tensed. Those sensations he felt gave him a spark and he finally understood when he heard the last part of the whisper.

"_**Erase the memories."**_

* * *

**STATUS REPORT**

**CURRENT STATUS: Buried underneath mountains of homework with a hand sticking out of the mountains, desperately trying to locate the keyboard.**


	13. Chapter 13 : The Battle (Part 1)

**Chapter 13 : The Battle (Part 1)**

_I liked things better when I didn't understand them. ~_**Bill Watterson**

"Oh? Another visitor?" Both Alibaba and Sinbad turned to meet the newcomer whose cloth was set so that it covered his face safely and in the stranger's hand was a weird staff.

"The king of Sindria came to meet me," Ahbmad explained from his throne. "Greet him."

Poor Alibaba was getting ignored again. That was it. The blonde teen turned to face the king and roared, "Hold on! I'm the one who…"

Alibaba wasn't able to finish his sentence for Sinbad cut in suddenly. The elder's eyes were asking Alibaba to cooperate and stay still for a moment. Those eyes stayed on him for a while before they moved to stop at the suspicious newcomer.

Sensing the curious looks on him, the newcomer uncovered his face as it would be really rude of him if he didn't introduce himself properly. Weird was the word anyone would come up with when they saw his face. It was just so unreal that many had a hard time to get used to it.

"I'm a banker. You can call me Markkio. I'm currently employed as Balbadd's financial advisor," the man gave an introduction and held out his hand. Not wanting to be rude, Sinbad took the hand and they shared a shake as Sinbad introduced himself.

"Have we met before?" Sinbad had to ask. The sensation he felt near this guy was familiar.

"No, this would be the first time," Markkio calmly replied.

"Anyway, how's the other guest doing?" Ahbmad suddenly interrupted as he himself was curious of the condition of the recent guests. It was possible that if he treated them well, he could receive further benefits from the banker.

"He's doing fine for now but he'll need some rest before he can move about. It must be the weather here," Markkio provided. Sinbad had a confused façade. Who were they talking about?

"Get out of my way, damn it!" Another voice sounded and the occupants of the room all raised their heads to meet another newcomer. The voice continued his grumpy rant about the annoying crowd outside.

It only took a moment for Sinbad to recognise the emerging figure and he felt like he would get a heart attack. Why the hell was he doing here now of all times?

"Oh, well if it isn't Your Dumbness!" Judal exclaimed excitedly. Great timing. He was getting a little bored and irritated. He jogged to the idiot king who was having a rather scary face.

"Judal, why are you here?" Sinbad demanded. Judal blinked and smiled a wide grin before knocking on his chest several times and announced the fact that he was now the priest of the Kou Empire at the moment. He was careful not to drop the food when he did so because Aladdin wouldn't forgive anyone who wasted food.

"You're with the Kou Empire?" Now, that was the first time Sinbad heard about it.

"Yeah," Judal answered nonchalantly. "I'm here on official business for them."

Judal went past Sinbad and greeted the banker whereas Sinbad continued to stare suspiciously at his every movement. After all, there was no guarantee that he wouldn't attack suddenly. However, if Judal was with the Kou Empire, then that meant that the man was also…

"Sorry Sinbad, but you'll need to leave now." Oh, great, just what he needed; another annoying king on the throne.

"This conversation isn't over."

Alibaba finally snapped out of whatever trace he was in and shouted in agreement.

"If it's about resuming trade with Sindria, then it's really impossible for me to help you," Ahbmad stated.

"What do you mean?"

"All of Balbadd's trading rights have been put under the control of the Kou Empire." That idiot of a king. "Balbadd cannot trade with any other countries unless the Kou Empire authorises it."

"Do you plan to be ruled by the Kou Empire?" Sinbad was losing his temper quickly. Just how foolish could this king be? He was technically selling his country away, heck more like giving it in wrapped paper to the Kou Empire!

"Of course not, this is just a policy that the banker proposed we enact in order to revive Balbadd's economy," Ahbmad reasoned.

"That's right. Brokering peaceful trade between countries. That's the job of us bankers," Markkio joined in the conversation. He even offered Sinbad to hand over the economic affairs to them.

Getting fed up for being further ignored, Alibaba shouted, "Wait! I haven't finished talking to you either! Promise as a king! Tell me you'll definitely protect the people who are suffering!"

'Ah, why didn't I notice him before?' Judal thought so as he stared at the blonde. He looked familiar. Blonde haired male… Ah! Realisation sank in and Judal didn't like that realisation. It took almost all his strength to refrain himself from removing the blonde right on spot. He placed a hand on his forehead as he mentally counted to ten to calm himself.

He couldn't take it too long. Every single glance at the blonde reminded him of the pain Judal felt when he was venturing Aladdin's mind. He recalled how vulnerable and broken the child seemed when he collected him. It was hard for him to watch the child suffering and thanks to this whatever-baba, Aladdin became unstable and maybe a little bit dangerous.

It was only fitting for him to be kicked out. Sinbad was too kind to save him from a total humiliation or from being murdered brutally by Judal.

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Aladdin didn't need another thing to upset him. That was what Judal decided as he approached the younger's room. Carefully, he pushed open the door for fear that the child was still asleep but it seemed to him that the child was already wide awake.

"Yo, chibi!" Judal cheerfully announced his arrival and latched himself, or at least tried to onto the younger's back. A sigh escaped Aladdin's lips and he sidestepped. A second after his movement, Judal flew past him.

"Eh?" was all Judal managed to say before he crashed into the merciless ground below.

"How mean~" Judal whined, rubbing his nose as he struggled to stand up. Aladdin sighed again.

"Whatever. Thanks by the way, for the food," Aladdin said, swinging the packet of food that he managed to rescue from the elder's crash landing.

'When did he?' Judal wondered in his mind, eying at his empty hands in disbelief. That was when he realised something and he immediately protested, "What? You prioritise food more than me?"

"Yup." The sky was falling down upon Judal and the elder immediately sulked. Curling himself into a ball at one of the corner of the room, dark clouds loomed over his head. Now, that was an overreaction.

Aladdin felt like face palming himself but he couldn't help but giggled at the dramatic antics. Just how childish could he get? Examining the food curiously, he drooled at the mouth-watering delicacies. That made him a little bit guilty for teasing Judal but only a little bit, okay? He placed the food carefully on the table before he trotted to the elder's side.

"Okay, okay, I'm only teasing. Geez, I can't believe you're actually jealous over some food," Aladdin apologised half-heartedly with his hand landing onto the elder's shoulder. Then, he received some mumbling that sounded suspiciously like "I'm not jealous…"

If you tried to look hard enough, you could catch a glimpse of red on both sides of Judal's cheek when Aladdin mentioned the word 'jealous'. Aladdin sighed once again and crouched down. "Fine, you're not jealous. Now, come on."

Still, Judal stubbornly refused to move from the corner and Aladdin was beginning to consider the option of leaving him there for the rest of the day. Yet again, no, having a huge black thingy occupying one of the corners of a foreign room was creepy. Aladdin then began to wrap his small arms around the elder's waist. "Now, better?"

Judal hated to admit the fact that he felt better than ever when he felt Aladdin's small arms around him and he offered a small glance behind at the child. What caught his eyes the most was the colour of the younger's eyes and he found himself staring at them.

"What's the matter?" Aladdin asked softly when he felt Judal's stare on him. Judal blinked and stuttered, "I-it's nothing."

Aladdin's eyes narrowed suspiciously and Judal found it hard not to think of the younger as a kitten, especially when his eyes were glittering with curiosity and curving into slits. If you thought you could lie under those eyes, then you were dead wrong. Judal gave in and pointed his finger in between Aladdin's eyes.

Staring the appendage, Aladdin tried to figure up what the elder meant by that and it took him a moment to realise what the elder was referring to.

"Ah, it's about the eyes, right?" Aladdin asked and Judal nodded absentmindedly. Instinctively, Aladdin reached out to snap the finger away from his face. "They are not turning back to their normal colours. I wonder why?"

"Maybe, you're finally going to turn?" Judal guessed. It was still a mystery why Aladdin had yet fallen completely after so many passing years. Maybe, now was the time.

"Maybe," Aladdin droned. A frown came to his face as he thought of the possibility of that to happen. "But, I can still use the white Rukh so I doubt that it will happen too soon."

Judal raised an eyebrow at that but no matter; it was nothing huge to be worried about now.

"That's that. For now, I want to eat!" Aladdin exclaimed. His worries evaporated into thin air at the mention of food. Judal sighed in relief. At least Aladdin was better now. That thought alone alarmed him and reminded him to not speak of the meeting with the idiot king and that whatever-baba a while ago as the slightest mention of the blonde would definitely upset the younger and Judal hated to see him sad.

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~Some time later…~

"You're hiding something," Aladdin couldn't help but pointed out. He always knew the little motions and habits Judal had when he was uneasy or hiding something. For this situation though, Aladdin suspected that it was the latter. The fact that Judal flinched slightly was enough to confirm his guess.

Meanwhile, Judal was cursing his luck. How did Aladdin find out so quickly? He couldn't tell him that he had met the blond. It would only sadden Aladdin or maybe threw him unstable again. No, he couldn't do that and he reminded himself of his resolve by shaking his head.

"It's okay if you don't want to tell me." Was Judal hearing things? Aladdin just gave him the pass to not tell him anything which was indeed rare as the smaller never did so. He visibly relaxed.

Judal should have been more collected than to show Aladdin exactly what the younger was expecting. After earning the reaction, Aladdin was sure that the elder was definitely hiding something and who said he was going to let this slide?

"After all, I'm just a hindrance to you, right?" Oh, goodness. Judal hated that face the child was trying to pull off. It made him feel all guilty inside. How came this was becoming his fault? The child continued, "I've always caused troubles so it's okay if big brother is tired of me." Sometimes, Aladdin found it hard to believe his own words but a part of the conversation was without a doubt the truth about what he had always felt when Judal had to get him out of all those troubles he had caused.

Judal knew that it was a trap. He knew it and he opted himself to not fall for it but who could have resisted, especially when you were facing an adorable child who seemed to be on the verge of tears. Of course, not to minus the fact that you were the one who made him cry.

"Okay, okay, I'll tell you so don't make that face anymore," Judal admitted defeat. Aladdin smirked behind the hands that he used to cover his face to make the whole 'you made me cry' act looked perfect.

"Now, tell me," Aladdin immediately gushed. Another victory for him. Judal rolled his eyes. There was just no way to defeat this little guy, huh?

"Fine, I'll tell you," Judal let out. His mind couldn't help but filled with anxiety. Hopefully the child would be able to take it.

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Judal could see the child's expression darken as he told him in short about the meeting with the blonde.

"I see." That was all Aladdin said when he heard it. He proceeded to plop down onto the bed while Judal shifted nervously beside the child.

"Are you okay?" Judal inquired, leaning close to the child.

"Umm," Aladdin replied. "I'm fine. It's okay. I knew that I have made a ridiculous mistake."

"Mistake?"

"Right. A mistake I made when I decided to befriend him. If I didn't befriend him, things will never end up like this. It's all my fault to begin with so I'm just getting the aftereffect of it." Those words that left the child's mouth was devoid of life and feeling. This made Judal gritted his teeth. If he disliked the blonde before, then he would hate him more. It was so heart-breaking to see Aladdin act like this, blaming himself for something that wasn't even his mistake to begin with.

"Hush, don't say that, chibi!" Judal shouted suddenly and Aladdin jolted in surprise. In the next second, he was collected into an embrace.

"Brother?" Aladdin asked, bewildered by the sudden action.

"It's not your fault. Stop blaming yourself! Damn it! You're such a trouble, you know?" Judal muttered, feeling the silky hair under his hand. Aladdin's eyes dimmed. 'So I'm a trouble after all.'

As if reading the younger's mind, Judal clarified, "I'm not saying that you're annoying or anything. You're far from annoying. You're, after all my precious little brother. I will never let anything or anyone hurt you. I promise so stop blaming yourself for those things. Seeing you hurt yourself is enough of a torment."

If this happened any other time, Aladdin would never have taken Judal seriously for 'serious' wasn't the most common thing Judal had been known for. Instead, it was the exact opposite. However, Aladdin found no strength in himself to tease the elder. He wished for nothing more but to stay like this a bit longer. It had been a while since he last felt so…protected. His heart managed a leap of relief and joy at the elder's declaration and he sighed in content before he buried his head into the elder's warm chest.

It was enough for him to know that he wasn't being a burden to Judal. It was all he needed to know and he didn't really care about anything else. This was enough.

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"How did it go?"

"Alibaba…"

People were whispering among themselves even the infamous trio thieves. They all had a general idea about what happened but they would not leave until they heard the result right from Alibaba's mouth.

Alibaba was currently trying in vain to get over his depression. Morgiana refused to leave his side as she was worried and concerned about the audience as well. After some talks, Morgiana reminded Alibaba of the fact that they could not keep the truth from the people even if the negotiation had failed.

Then, a knock announced the arrival of Ja'far and Masrur.

"Please follow me. Sin's about to announce the outcome of today's negotiations." That was it. He had to face it.

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"Hey, chibi. Did you remember the healing book you once shown me back at the empire?" Judal asked out of blue with the child lying across his laps like a kitten.

"Yeah, what about it?" Aladdin questioned. Judal mentioned nothing more, instead his hand snaked to the back of Aladdin's neck and he concentrated.

"What-" Aladdin attempted to ask again as he received no response from the elder but he never did finish the question for all of the sudden there was this very warm sensation at the back of his neck. His vision threatened to fade and he could feel his body relaxing.

'Ah, it can't be!' Aladdin's mind alarmed but it was too late. He was soon overcome by a sense of sleepiness and in less than a few minutes, he dozed off.

"I'm sorry, chibi," Judal finally voiced. After making sure that the child had fallen into a deep sleep, he removed his hand. He took back his comment about the usefulness of healing magic. It was only lucky that he memorised this one from the book under the strong insistence of the chibi. It actually came in handy. He bet that chibi never thought that this magic would be casted on him.

He was not being mean by knocking out the child. In fact, he had something to take care of; something regarding a certain blonde. He would definitely pay for making Aladdin so hurt and Judal would make sure of that. That was why he couldn't involve Aladdin into this. He was already hurt more than enough.

'Don't worry, Aladdin. Everything will be fine after this,' he thought and left through the window. Stepping onto his carpet, he glanced back at the room.

As a safety measure, Judal picked up his wand and casted a few magic until he broke into a satisfying grin. Now, it was time for business.

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"Today's negotiation failed," Sinbad announced. People groaned and mumbled among themselves whereas Sinbad continued, "All of our requests were completely brushed aside, so we must now officially oppose the national army."

Alibaba couldn't bear seeing the people losing their hope and faith but what could he do? There was nothing left of him. He was powerless and weak.

"What're you depressed about?" Sinbad suddenly declared. Everyone looked up, waiting for him to continue. "Until now, you could only fight underhandedly, like a band of thieves but today, for the first time, you were able to fight fair and square. Remember why you took up the sword! To save yourselves from poverty; to support and protect your families. Is there anyone here who really thinks that this is the end?"

Sinbad was very good at lifting the spirits of people. Alibaba stared in awe. The king only spoke a few words and the effect was drastic. Everyone was giving Sinbad supports and they were once again filled with hope. However, compared to him, Alibaba was…

"Hey! Sinbad!"

'This voice. It can't be!' Sinbad looked up and there in the air was unmistakably Judal. "So, this is where you were, Your Dumbness."

"Judal," Sinbad addressed. With a leap, Judal landed a good distance away from Sinbad.

"He's that guy from before," Alibaba gasped in recognition.

"Judal, did you come here on Ahbmad's order?" Sinbad demanded.

"Huh?" Where did he get that idea from?

"Or rather, the Kou Empire?"

"No, nothing like that. I don't really care about any of them," Judal admitted. Couldn't that idiot king see the fact that he wasn't interested in any things that related to politic?

"What do you plan to do with this country?" Sinbad inquired, frowning.

"Don't know and don't care. I've gotten no interest in economy or such. What I am here for is…" Judal's eyes scanned over the area until they paused at a certain blonde. They narrowed and glinted dangerously.

"You," Judal called, pointing at the blonde with his wand. The blonde startled and pointed at himself dumbly. He wasn't talking about him, was he? They barely knew each other! He swore the only time they met was this noon and they didn't even exchange words. What did he want from him?

"I've a bone to pick with you." Well, that sounded like trouble.

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Did you know how it felt to have your head smashed in between two swinging hammers? I knew, ouch, right? That was how Aladdin felt when he first woke up. That splitting headache caused his world to spin. Ugh, the pain wouldn't stop. He tried to recall what happened to cause him to be so. Memories slowly crept back to his mind and trust me he didn't like what he remembered.

'That idiot is so going to be dead when I found him,' Aladdin vowed in his mind as he pushed himself out of the bed. His steps wobbled but he soon steadied himself. Walking towards the window, Aladdin wasn't exactly prepared for bumping into an invisible wall that appeared out of nowhere.

Nursing his nose, he glared up at the wall. Pressing his hands against the wall, he felt the familiar flow of magic. That idiot… Aladdin turned to try the door but was met with the same fate.

If Aladdin had mentioned that Judal was going to be dead by the time he found him, then he would have to rephrase that a little; Judal was a dead man walking.

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'What's the matter with this guy?' Alibaba mentally yelled, dodging another attack from the black haired magi. He had no idea why he was attacking him nor had the time to find out. The attacks just kept coming down like rain.

"Judal! Stop it!" Sinbad shouted for Judal to stop.

"Shut up! Sinbad!" Judal barked. "Even if you want to stop me, it's impossible. I know that you didn't have a single metal vessel with you now."

Sinbad clenched his teeth at the mention of the truth but he could always try to help, right? Therefore, he commanded Masrur and the Fanalis was there in a flash, delivering his powerful kick towards the magi. However, all was in vain for Judal's Bolg was automatically activated.

"It's no use. We can't use our household vessels," Masrur stated as he retreated while Judal smirked. Of course, not. He wouldn't let anyone interfere with his plan. He whipped his head towards the blonde who was taking the time to rest, panting slightly from dodging all the attacks he had thrown him.

"Why are you doing this?" Sinbad demanded. Judal raised an eyebrow lazily before the question registered in his mind and he stared at Sinbad as if he had grown a second head.

"That's because he made him sad…" Judal mumbled but Sinbad heard it and the king was shocked upon finding something foreign in Judal's tone, not the usual teasing or taunting but tender. Whoever he was talking about must have been very important to him.

"Enough with the talking. Now, die!" He claimed and whipped his wand towards the blonde. Getting tired of dodging, Alibaba charged forward with his blade in hand. The blade connected with Judal's Bolg and the magi smirked.

"It's no use," Judal pointed out smugly, watching Alibaba trying to penetrate his Bolg. What he didn't expect was the fact that Alibaba called out Amon's flame and his Bolg shattered. Alibaba landed a few feet from him, smiling as his blade finally reached the man. However, his joy was short-lived for Judal glared at him with his fingers gracing over the cut on his cheek.

Judal was careless to have forgotten that blonde was a Dungeon Capturer but he wouldn't repeat his carelessness. Raising his wand, he scoffed in anger. He was ready to strike when he sensed something. He lowered his wand subconsciously and looked up into the night sky. A gasp followed, "No way, he is awake already?"

Sinbad and the others watched in bewilderment at the sudden halt of motion. They however were soon alarmed when Judal craned his neck back towards them with his wand high in the air. "I'll have to end this quickly."

Balbadd was a city of fog, therefore it was deemed suitable to use that magic here. Water gathered at the tip of Judal's wand before it was frozen into solid ice. Oh, Judal loved this magic.

Shedding the ice shard, he sent the deadly pointed ice towards Sinbad's group and of course towards the annoying blonde. It did some damage at some points but it was just not enough. They dodged too fast and managed to avoid from being critically injured. Judal wasn't fond of losing.

The dark haired magi prepared, pulling his wand in front of him. If they were fast, he would just have to be faster, right? Lightning flashed around his wand. It didn't take long for the lightning to make its way towards its targets, flashing and roaring all the way. Judal would have hit them if he didn't miss. It wasn't his intention to miss for he jolted as his sense was triggered.

Judal glanced up into the sky again. "It can't be? He had already tore away the second barrier?" Ah, he was so dead. To think that Aladdin would break those barriers so quickly, he must not be pleased at all. Judal was brought out of his musing on the various creative tortures he would go through after this by a question from the idiot king, "Are you expecting someone?"

Judal let out a bitter chuckle. "No, actually I'm expecting him not to come."

"Who's this 'he' you've been going on for a while now?" Sinbad was curious for Judal actually showed feeling other than dislike or interest towards this person.

"I've no obligation to tell you," Judal said explicitly. Sinbad should have expected this. Judal wasn't going to give free information, no now or ever.

"Now, our time is running short so stay still and let me kill you already!" Judal yelled at Alibaba. He admitted that Alibaba was pretty nimble and very good at running away. That was very, very annoying. It was like a pest that had been pestering you for a century or more. Why would he just die already?

Sure, Alibaba wasn't the brightest but he wasn't stupid enough to let this man kill him just like this! So, he dodged, he ducked, he attacked, he rebelled. Those actions only irked the man more as he grew fierce in his attacks.

"What, may I ask, are you doing here?" A smooth, childish voice was all it took to freeze Judal. With a surprise yelp, he dived downwards at a speed that he didn't know he was capable of. He didn't really care how tensed Sinbad became and how alarmed those two beside him were when he suddenly used the idiot king as a cover for him.

It was probably the first time for everyone to see Judal act like this. The usually stern and confident bastard was reduced to a cowering figure behind Sinbad. Naturally, anyone would have been curious to find out exactly who could elicit such a reaction from him. The answer made their eyes go wide for a full hour.

"Aladdin?" Sinbad addressed, shocked to find the child in the air above.

"Yo, mister Sinbad, it's nice to meet you again," Aladdin greeted, landing a few feet away. The child looked the same except for the piercing red eyes that overtook the place of the innocent blue ones. He didn't know why but those eyes made him uneasy.

Sinbad could swear he felt Judal's clutches on his cloth tightened by ten folds. His attention went back to the boy as he spoke again, "You know, mister Sinbad? I will really appreciate it if you…" The child made a motion with his hands, asking Sinbad to step aside for a bit.

Sinbad blinked dumbly but he soon caught on. He stepped aside swiftly but nearly lost his balance as Judal followed closely, with his hands still clutching onto Sinbad's clothes and his head buried into the material.

A heavy sigh was heard. Sinbad watched as the young child before him rolled his eyes. "Come out at this instant."

Timidly, Judal looked from behind Sinbad's back. Oh, wrong decision… Those red eyes were shouting dangerous and looked as if they were daring you to disobey. Judal shrank and reluctantly his grips loosened. He hesitated to move out of his so called 'hiding place' but Aladdin had all the time in the world as he waited patiently for Judal to make his full appearance before him.

It was amusing to see such a sight. Aladdin stood with his arms folded before the other like a parent who caught his child lying or stealing. Judal gave a sharp hiss in pain when Aladdin pulled mercilessly on his braid, dragging him forward.

"Mister Sinbad, if I'm not mistaken, this idiot just bragged in out of nowhere and wreaked havoc, right?" Aladdin asked even though he was fully aware of the answer. He didn't even wait for the reply from Sinbad and bowed. "On behalf of this idiot, I'm sorry for the troubles caused."

Sinbad was having a good time stunned as Aladdin tugged Judal by his braid and retreated after the apology. Judal was letting out series of protests as he struggled in vain against the abusing pull on his hair.

"Now, now, stop struggling and come on, we've plenty to discuss. My head is still a bit dizzy thanks to you. Not to mention sister Kougyoku will be arriving any time now," Aladdin stated. Judal paled when he heard Aladdin's tone dropped into a level of coldness that rivalled an ice's. His tone spoke volume. The child was definitely not that pleased with Judal.

"Aladdin?" Ah, that stupid idiot just had to choose this time to call out to Aladdin, huh? Judal's face immediately twisted with anger and a bit annoyance. He didn't plan for Aladdin to get involved in this and that whatever-baba just had to find his voice now! Why couldn't he stay mute for a little longer? That way Aladdin wouldn't notice or forced to acknowledge his presence.

Aladdin stopped in his steps and glanced back. Red met brown and Aladdin smirked. So that was the real reason Judal came here for. He couldn't help but feel a bit guilty. Judal did this for him. He didn't want Judal to go through the trouble to solve his problem for the elder had done more than enough with his presence alone. Aladdin had to face his own problem. His grip around Judal's hair was released completely and Judal slumped forward, rubbing his scalp.

"It seems that we're not in a hurry to go back yet," Aladdin said. Judal perked up and stared at him as if he was crazy. What did he say? Worries came, swelling in his chest as he searched Aladdin's face to pick up any sight of discomfort but there was none. "It's time to rectify my mistake..." The child trailed off and Judal immediately knew what he meant by 'mistake'.

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Judal whispered. He was not against some fun but he would ensure that Aladdin was really fine and stable enough to do this.

"Yes, yes, I'm more than fine," Aladdin replied nonchalantly. His glance never left the blonde. Alibaba felt uncomfortable under the gaze of those red eyes. It was both unnerving and driving him mad.

"A-Aladdin, you know that guy?" Alibaba croaked out. The other occupants of the half ruined place looked on curiously.

"Ah," Aladdin breathed out; his eyes lidded and he stared down at Judal who was still on the floor. He leaned in closer to Judal and whispered, "You didn't tell them anything?"

His question was replied with a shake of the elder's head. "I see. It's rude of me to not properly introduce myself, right?"

Aladdin glanced up with his eyes roving over every single person there. Breathing in deeply, he placed a hand in his chest and announced, "I'm Aladdin, the Kou Empire's magi and this…" He gestured at Judal. "…is Judal. As you may already know, he is the Kou Empire's Holy Priest though he doesn't look like it…and my elder brother."

"Eh?" was the smartest thing that got out of their mouths. They could swear that their jaws had dropped to the ground by now. That maniac that nearly killed them was Aladdin's brother? It was outrageous and so far the greatest surprise.

Sinbad was the first one to recover from the shock as he watched the brothers having banter as Judal protested for being treated harshly. He shakily parroted, "He is…he is your brother?"

"Yep, in blood and flesh," Aladdin chirped. His smile turned dark and Sinbad had to supress a shiver. Something was not right here. Sinbad didn't know why but he got a bad omen about this. His omen came true in less than a minute for Aladdin cackled madly, "Enough with the boring talk. Let's play!"

If Alibaba had failed to see the connection between the two magi before, he clearly saw it now. They were both rowdy and mad in battles and Alibaba found it harder and harder to evade the incoming attacks that had been doubled since the arrival of Aladdin.

Judal lifted himself into the air and gathered the water as he prepared for another ice attack. Sinbad was more than prepared now. Same trick wouldn't work on the same person twice. However, Judal had no intention to make the attack the same as the last one for in the next moment, Aladdin rose into the air beside him and a raging tornado was formed by the command of the younger.

The tornado devoured the ice shards, engulfing them in its ever spinning body. Within seconds, the sharp ice shards shot out of the tornado at complete random. Alibaba was having a hard time dodging the ice shards. He even had to draw out the flame to melt them before they hit him. What he was unaware of was the ice shards that had yet been dispatched towards him.

As soon as his flame died down, the ice shards gained speed. If not for Morgiana's quick rescue, he would have been dying with the ice shards coming out of his body.

Sinbad deflected as many shards as he could with his blade. The attack this time had proven to be harder to dodge for he couldn't glimpse on the direction the shards were coming from. It was complete random. Speaking about random, the other innocent people could be injured by this attack. "Everyone, get out of here!"

People panicked and scrambled away. Masrur and Ja'far helped in evacuating the people without them getting harmed in the process but with half of the floor frozen, it wasn't going to be easy. After some struggle, they managed to get them out. By the time they did, the tornado had died down and they were relieved that the wild attack finally ended.

Their relief wasn't for long. They knew that the real dangers still resided in the pair that was still floating in the air, each with a matching smirk on their faces.

"Aladdin, stop this! I thought you aren't one to involve the innocents into this!" Sinbad hollered, gaining the attention of the younger who glanced at him with amusement.

"Yes, originally I didn't plan to get them involved…but if they get in the ways, then it is inevitable."

'This isn't how Aladdin acted!' Alibaba could only deny mentally. He refused to believe that the ruthless child in the air was the same Aladdin that helped him to conquer Amon's Dungeon back then. 'Do you really know the true him as you think you do?' Alibaba's mind harshly reminded him of the bitter truth and he gulped. He thought he know Aladdin well but in truth, he knew nothing about the small child and instead of trying to know the child, he hurt him with his words. He tore apart his dream and shattered his hope. What a friend he was…

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"The Fanalis are getting annoying. With them and their inhuman physical strength, I don't think we'll be able to get much fun from this," Judal analysed, crossing his legs in the air. Aladdin leaned against the staff and cocked his head to the side. He had a point.

"How about this, I get the big one beside the idiot king while you take care of the other girl," Judal suggested. Aladdin tapped on his chin and considered it for a second before nodding.

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"What are they up to now?" Sinbad mumble under his breath when he saw the two suddenly moved to two opposite directions. The king trailed expertly at their movements before he noticed their motives.

"Masrur! Morgiana! Look out!" Sinbad warned. Judal cursed for being noticed so soon but never mind it wasn't like that could change anything now.

Rock wouldn't be strong enough to trap a Fanalis. They would just break right through it with their strength. Aladdin needed to think of something to trap Mor; something that was not static and hard, something that would not be damaged easily. Ah, that was it.

Morgiana had a look of shock in her face when Aladdin made his way towards her. Dealing with her should be easy enough but Alibaba and his perfect timing just had to get in the way. Alibaba crashed his blade with Aladdin's Bolg. Sparks flew as the Bolg countered the blade. Knowing full well on how to break the defence, he used his remaining magoi to summon the flame.

Aladdin's eyes widened the minute Alibaba's flame appeared. "As if I would let you penetrate my defence!"

Aladdin reached out, ducking the blade and flame in the process while dispersing his Bolg. His hand landed on Alibaba's chest and they glowed. With a blast, Alibaba was sent flying across the place and into a wall.

"Alibaba!" Morgiana shouted. Aladdin turned towards his target but was met with her powerful kick but this time wouldn't end like last time. Aladdin already had his Bolg ready and there was no way Morgiana could break it now.

"Sorry, Mor. You'll just have to stay still for a while," Aladdin left those words. Not wasting the chance when Mor was up in the air to attack him, he called forth the chosen element. Water gathered and encaged the girl in mid-air. She twisted and turned to burst from the water cage but all was in vain. Even when she hit it with her full strength, all the cage did was splashed and rippled before recovering to its previous state.

"One down, one more to go," Aladdin sang, looking at the direction where the other Fanalis was.

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Judal was pissed. They really had the talent to make him feel so damn irritated and frustrated. Even without their household vessels, the idiot king's subordinates were without a doubt hindrance. That white haired guy wouldn't be able to harm him much in this state but he just wouldn't leave him alone to deal with the other. He lost count of how many times he tried to blast him away, only to be stopped by either the Dumbness or the Fanalis guy. Ah, them and their teamwork!

Aladdin watched in amusement at Judal's fight. He got to admit that Sinbad was a pretty interesting one to be able to fight so well against Judal. However, as the fight went on, Aladdin could see that Judal was not entirely happy with the constant knocking on his Bolg. Maybe Aladdin should help him.

The young magi's eyes grew sharp as he watched the fight. Their main strength lied in their annoying speed and tactics to catch their opponent off guard as well as their excellent timing. He closed his eyes as he thought of some way to immobilise them, even for a second was enough.

A smile graced his feature when an idea popped up. It might affect Judal a bit but when push came to shove, sacrifice was necessary plus it was a revenge for what he did earlier. He held his staff high in the air before bringing it down to Earth.

When it came in contact to the ground, a wave of high-pitched noise emerged from the ground where the staff struck. Ever try listening to the noise of nails that were scratching against the blackboard? Amplify that noise by a hundred fold, you were close to getting what I meant with the noise.

All of them except Aladdin threw their hands up to cover their ears from the abusing noise. It was making their heads spin. Aladdin took that moment to rush towards Masrur. With a hand landing on the said man's shoulder, he flipped himself over the towering man with the help of gravity magic and smirked.

The noise died away. Slowly, almost painfully, they slowly uncovered their ears.

"Hey, chibi! What's that for? You could have warned me! My ears are still ringing!" Judal yelled. Aladdin shrugged in response while Sinbad and Ja'far called out to Masrur.

"Masrur? Hey! Masrur!"

"It's no use." Sinbad and Ja'far craned their necks towards the small magi. "I've shut down all his senses. He can't hear, speak, smell, see or feel you."

"What?" Sinbad was beyond shocked. Who knew such a small child could do something like that? Sinbad had obviously underestimated the child by disregarding the fact that he was a magi as well, one probably as strong as Judal. Well, Sinbad never liked to play dirty but the situation was too grim for them. If they didn't do this, there was no guarantee that they could escape death.

"Why are you doing this, Aladdin?" Sinbad asked; his gaze shifted to Ja'far for a second and the white haired man nodded in understanding. Ja'far backed away as silent as he could while Sinbad distracted the pair.

"I'm here to correct a mistake I had made," Aladdin calmly answered.

"And what may that be?" Sinbad questioned. He knew that he was close to stepping on a landmine now. The younger shifted and his fists were clenched into balls beside him. It seemed that the child was too engrossed in his own feeling to notice the silent approaching figure.

Judal was positively worried. What did this Dumbness want to achieve by asking those questions? He tried to reach forward to comfort the child but his hand landed in the air. Eh?

All Aladdin felt was a tug on his hand when a blood red wire caught him and the next moment he was swung into the air. Damn! He let his guard down. He could feel the air rushing through his hair before he collided with a solid chest.

Aladdin glanced up but a pair of strong arms soon locked around his neck. What? He was having hard time breathing. Crawling at the muscular arms that were cutting off his air supply, he tried to kick and bite but the one holding him was definitely skilled. With a twist of the body, the captor avoided from being hurt by the child while still holding him in a tight grip.

"Aladdin!" He could hear Judal's panicked voice but he couldn't see clearly. His lungs were burning from the meagre supply of oxygen and he could feel his mind become dizzier with each passing seconds.

"Ah! Your Dumbness! It's unfair! Release Aladdin immediately!" Judal commanded hysterically. Sinbad merely raised an eyebrow at the other's demand. So, it was correct that he cared deeply for this one. Maybe he could use it to his advantage.

"And you consider having two magi fighting with us fair?" Sinbad mocked. He flinched slightly as the young magi dug his nails into the skin of his arms. Judal was fuming with rage and anxiety. He got to think of some way to make that idiot king release Aladdin but the question here was how?

"Put down your wand, Judal," Sinbad ordered; his voice icy cold and sharp. Judal gritted his teeth as he glared at the king. Sinbad didn't seem to be affected by the hostile glare; instead he tightened the grip around the child's neck enough to make the younger choke.

"Stop!" Judal barked at Sinbad. His finger that curled around the wand loosened and the wand fell onto the ground. Judal swore once Aladdin was free of that idiot's grip, he would pay dearly for this. However, this didn't mean that he admitted defeat now. After all, Judal hated to lose.

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'Why am I so weak now?' was the thought that crossed Aladdin's mind at least ten times now since his capture. He didn't want to be a burden to Judal. How dare Sinbad use him as a bargaining chip? It wasn't fair but who could he blame? It was his fault to begin with. He provided the opening for Sinbad to strike.

The very thought of that caused him to dig his nails deeper into Sinbad's arms, hoping that the motion could, at the very least help loosen the suffocating grip. It didn't. Sinbad was a sturdy person, too sturdy for Aladdin's taste.

"_Big brother!"_

A flash of his mind and Aladdin saw something. It was as if a memory that was buried into the deepest recess of his mind, never to be uncovered again but it came back to Aladdin in full force with its vivid red hue that covered and blinded him.

He saw a pair of smaller hands reaching out as he was forcefully taken away from the familiar figure of his brother. He could hear himself screaming for release, begging for his brother but all was in vain when the darkness overcame him again. He felt fear when a dark hand came down upon him, wiping away what was left of him and creating an empty shell of nothingness.

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Sinbad stared down at the child when he felt the younger's struggling ceased. Cold wind began rushing past him. It wasn't natural. He had to release his hold on the young magi when there was a blast of air around the child. What in the world was happening?

It hurt. Everything hurt. Aladdin didn't want to remember. Those memories tore him apart. He felt fear as if reliving the piece of memory. He let it out. Dark Rukh circled him, creating a ring of total blackness beneath him. He had enough. He didn't want this to drag on any longer.

"It's time to get serious."

* * *

**STATUS REPORT**

**CURRENT STATUS : Dying from tests and homework. It is official now. Reality sucks. Will find time to update though not as soon as anyone expect...There is still some matter left to deal with.**


	14. Chapter 14 : The Battle (Part 2)

**Chapter 14 : The Battle (Part 2)**

_People protect what they love. _**~Jacques Yves Cousteau**

"_**It's time to get serious."**_

The plan had backfired. Sinbad had originally planned to use Aladdin to make Judal give up on trying to fight or kill them but that didn't work out quite right. To say that it make matters worse was an understatement. This was the worst.

Judal stared in shock at Aladdin. He couldn't believe that the smaller was actually seriously mad. Judal never thought Aladdin was capable of doing that. I meant he wasn't really angry about anything before. Sure, he got angry with some pranks Judal pulled but Judal could always tell that Aladdin was never totally serious about that. Therefore, for Aladdin to be this serious, he doubted the possibility of anyone getting out of this in one piece.

Sinbad and Ja'far only managed to let out a grunt of pain when a black tentacle-like thing whipped towards them, much too fast for them to dodge and they were slammed into a wall. The pair hissed in pain when their back connected to the hard concrete wall. Trying to clamber out of the dent, they couldn't even take a step away as another dark tentacle blocked their ways, trapping them within the clutches of its darkness.

"What's this?" Sinbad examined the dark thingy around him. It wasn't made out of magic so he couldn't break free. Under further analysis, it was discovered that those things that held him in place were actually Rukh, with their wings painted pitch black.

"Stop getting in my way!" Aladdin exclaimed, slamming the pair deeper into the solid wall. Sinbad could feel the rough stone and concrete behind him, digging into the skin of his back. Ouch, it might even draw some blood.

Aladdin breathed out to calm himself. Now that all the obstacles were gone, he would finally be able to deal with him.

Alibaba drew out a shaky breath as he watched Sinbad being slammed into the wall. He knew that he was the next in line and his body was painfully tense. He wanted to run away, away from all of these, but he knew he couldn't. No, he wouldn't run again. All these times, he had been a coward. He ran away from his responsibilities. If he ran now, how could he expect to face the others? They put their hope and faith into him.

Those emotions had swelled up in his chest. He charged, thinking that for once he could do something different for the sake of others. He went straight at Aladdin.

"Done with hiding?" Aladdin smirked. With a raise of his hands, the Dark Rukh rose from the dark ring below, moulding themselves into blades. Just like shadows, the dark blades moved faster than anything, their blades sharper than any other swords.

Alibaba gulped but there was no turning back now. He had to face this. His blade readied in front of him as the black weapons sliced towards him. He brought up his blade to counter one of the dark blades. He could feel the weight of the blade above his own, though it was light, it was definitely there. That was the reason why he was so baffled when the weight suddenly varnished.

Instinctively, he barely managed to dodge in time when the dark blade went through his own weapon like it was nothing but thin air. If not for his quick reaction, he was sure that he would end up in halves by now.

'_Why?'_

Alibaba jolted. Who was it just now? He was sure he heard something when the dark blade went past his own. The thought was pushed aside when the sharp weapons dragged themselves towards him again. With a great force, Alibaba was slammed into the air, only to fall down painfully onto the ground.

His head was spinning and his blurry vision wasn't exactly helping. He knew that he shouldn't stay like this any longer for if it dragged on, he would be killed sooner or later. That thought alone motivated him to move even when he could barely see. His decision to move was proven to be correct for in less than a second after he had leapt away, the dark shadowlike Rukh crashed down onto where he had been, reducing the solid ground into mere rumbles.

Alibaba didn't have time to catch his breath. Thankfully, his vision returned to him a moment later. With his weapon in hands, he was determined to find out what was that he heard just now. He had a possible guess and all he needed to do was to prove that guess.

Ignoring the warnings his brain was sending, he countered the dark blade once again. As expected, the blade slipped right through, cutting off some of his blonde hair in the process. It was faint but he heard it.

'_Why? You're my friend.'_

That voice, no matter how he deduced, it sounded a lot like Aladdin. However, the child in front of him obviously hadn't spoken anything since they clashed. What was that then?

"It's useless to try and counter the Dark Rukh blades. They aren't like normal blades which are made out of metal. They are made of Dark Rukh which is abided to my will. You can't counter them. They will just slip right through your blade," Aladdin explained helpfully, standing firmly within the ring of darkness.

Alibaba didn't care about that. All he wanted to do now was to figure out this unknown voice. Therefore, he deliberately let the dark blades went through his own.

'_I'm looking forward to meeting you again and I'm sure I will be able to see the world…This time together with you, my friend…'_

The blonde gritted his teeth painfully. Those words were filled with so much sadness that Alibaba was beginning to tearing up as well but he opted himself not to.

'_But, why? Maybe it has always been a mistake. I shouldn't have befriended someone. It's impossible for me. So, I shall correct my mistake…'_

He knew now, he finally knew what the voice was. It was Aladdin's thought; his feelings of pain when Alibaba did what he did. Aladdin blamed himself for making friends and Alibaba knew that he would never ever befriend anyone after this. It was his entire fault. He had injured the child more than he had ever thought of.

That made him all the more determined to help him. No matter what, a life without a friend was a lonely one. He himself had experienced the loneliness when he once vowed to never make friend. It was a cold, dark and empty feeling deep inside his heart that would never fade despite all the times you had been through, instead the void seemed to be getting bigger and bigger as the days passed.

What could he do now? He kept on deflecting the attacks the child thrown at him, feeling the immense sense of sorrow within each and every one of those attacks. He couldn't hold on any longer. It was useless. He was weak and losing strength fast.

As soon as that thought crossed his mind, his knees gave up and he fell onto the ground, panting. His blade dug into the Earth as sweats tingled down his cheeks. Was this the end for him? Alibaba's eyes scrunched shut as he waited for the final hit that would finally end his pathetic life. He was really pathetic, wasn't he? He couldn't even save a friend.

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'Why isn't chibi attacking?' Judal pondered in his mind. He had chosen a great spot to watch the one-sided battle. Even Judal wasn't so stupid to interfere but he got to admit that the blonde had some fighting spirit within him but no matter how great the spirit was, it was all gone now as the blonde panted and collapsed to the ground. The fight had worn him out.

Aladdin should really use this chance to get rid of that bug. He couldn't even lift a finger now. It would be a piece of cake! Then, why weren't you doing anything, Aladdin?

'Hey, what?' was the first thing that swam past Judal's mind when the child dispersed the dark ring below him and strolled towards the blonde. What exactly was in his mind when he did that? Judal hadn't had a slightest idea.

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Alibaba could hear the tiny sound of footsteps heading towards him and he tensed. He tried to push himself up, only succeeded in falling back down. No, it was useless now. Nothing he did would make his legs move.

The sound soon ceased and Alibaba stared upwards into the blood red eyes of Aladdin. Their gazes never left one another as they stared into each other's eyes. Alibaba felt himself swallow up by those scarlet orbs the longer he stared into them. It was like he was under some sort of spell. He couldn't turn away from them. Within them, Alibaba found something that shouldn't be there. The blood red eyes were supposed to be cold and merciless but now they were sad and quiet. Not quite the emotions you would find in someone who was trying to take your life.

"You're quite strong, aren't you Alibaba? No one is able to keep that up for that long…" Aladdin finally spoke. His voice was as light as bells. "Why don't you…join us?"

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Judal swore he had heard him wrong just now. Aladdin, what in the world was you thinking? Judal felt the urge to slam his head into the wall several times or to simply just faint. He couldn't find the right words to deny what Aladdin was doing. It was just…random!

He could see that the blonde was experiencing the same feeling as he was; completely caught off guard by this invitation. If this was like any other time, Judal would laugh at the face Sinbad was making. It was as if he had choked on something but not now, he was not really in the mood to laugh till he dropped.

Aladdin, what the hell were you thinking?

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"What?" Alibaba gasped.

"You heard me, join us and I'll make you a king like none others," Aladdin breathed the words out. His red eyes glittered in expectation.

"I…I…" Alibaba didn't know how to react. He didn't feel like being a king and he didn't think he would ever want to be one but Aladdin's next sentence halted him. "Of course, I can help you save your beloved Balbadd if you want."

Now, that was tempting. Too tempting. He wanted to save the people and here was a way. If he just accepted his offer, then Balbadd and his people could be safe. That way no one would have to suffer again.

"You serious?" Alibaba couldn't help but asked. If this was some sickening joke, then he was not buying it. Aladdin hummed in response, putting a hand onto his chest as he assured that it wasn't a joke or anything like that. Oh, how Alibaba wished that it was all a joke. That way his resolve wouldn't have wavered like this and he wouldn't be so torn apart.

Alibaba was weak and he himself knew it. What did Aladdin see in him that made the child say so? Alibaba realised that it wasn't their original motive as he could subtly see the frantic figure of Aladdin's brother who was scratching the back of his head confusingly.

The blonde bit his lower lip while pondering over the offer. It was a chance like none others, not only could he help Balbadd out of the state it was now, he could also get stronger if what Aladdin said was all true. With the way Aladdin was saying those words, it left him no room for any doubt.

Should he or should he not? He closed his eyes and what flashed across his mind were the faces of his supporters. In his ears were the sounds of their cheering. That was right. Alibaba finally remembered why he did this. He wanted to help Balbadd but if he achieved his goal through Aladdin's offer, he doubted that any of the people would be really happy about it.

He couldn't and he shouldn't. That was his way and he would never falter again, not anymore. His eyes snapped open and he looked into Aladdin's eyes once more; this time with a fiery determination.

"No, I can't do this," Alibaba replied sternly. Aladdin's eyes widened for a second there when he listened to the firm determination within those simple words.

"Why?" Aladdin could hear his own voice shake. Who would be stupid enough to let go a golden chance like this?

Alibaba held his ground and continued to stare into those red eyes. He no longer found those eyes menacing.

"It's my duty and my responsibility. I can't just hand this matter to anyone. I want to be the one who end this," Alibaba answered.

"It's the same either way!" Aladdin couldn't help but raised his voice. Why did Alibaba have to be so damn difficult?

"It's not the same!" Alibaba snapped back. "The people have faith in me! They trust me! I won't let them down by joining the other side. I'll never forgive myself if I do this, Aladdin!"

Aladdin stayed rooted in the place when Alibaba stood with his newfound strength. Damn! He knew he was stronger than the blonde so why was he backing away? He stopped himself from moving further away from the blonde as he stared into those blazing eyes. If Alibaba refused to join him, then he would have to destroy him. That was easy, right?

"I see," Aladdin said, trying to keep his tone emotionless. "Then, I don't need you anymore."

The Dark Rukh gathered within seconds and they transformed into a drill. Pushing the drill forward, Aladdin was sure to strike down the blonde for good but he couldn't help the slight tremble he felt in his hands when he delivered the last blow.

"_Stop!"_

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Everything seemed to slow down. Upon an inch from reaching Alibaba, a bright light emitted from the seal on Alibaba's knife. The light engulfed the whole place. The Dark Rukh screeched and the drill melted away.

Aladdin did not expect the sudden light to be strong enough to disperse the Dark Rukh. It was then the light escalated in brightness before a surge of force hit Aladdin, sending him backwards and straight into a wall.

"Aladdin!" Judal yelled when the light died down. However, it didn't end there. A large circle formed beneath them and a similar one in the air. Something was coming. Judal could feel it when he went and supported Aladdin who was, thankfully not hurt.

Another flash of light blinded them. After the light faded, a large figure emerged from the circle and the Earth shook upon its landing. It was a giant form of a Djinn. At least that was what they thought it was for the form that appeared before them seemed to be lacking a proper head.

"What? A Djinn?" Judal blinked in confusion. Why was there a Djinn here? Not to mention that this Djinn didn't have a master. Then, how could he move?

The train of thoughts was cut short when the huge hand of the Djinn suddenly came down towards them. Aladdin and Judal jumped away just in time before been smashed under those monstrous hands.

What was with this Djinn? It wasn't normal for Djinn to appear out of nowhere and started attacking them without a reason, was it? Judal threw his remaining ice shards towards him and they hit their mark. However, Judal never expected the Djinn to move after that. The ice shards hurt him and he knew it, judging from the magoi that was leaking out from the wounds. So, how could he still move?

The Djinn moved too fast. A second before he was kneeling near the centre and the next, he was in the air with his fist slamming down onto Judal. His Bolg struggled against the incredible force of the attack as Judal tried his best to stay afloat. Despite his efforts, he was still brought down by the gigantic hand.

Dusts flew when Judal crashed into the ground, blocking the others' vision from the fallen figure.

"Big brother!" Within second, Aladdin appeared by Judal's side. As the dust finally settled down, Aladdin heaved a sigh of relief when he found that Judal was in fact fine and in one piece. Not that he didn't trust the elder's skill to take care of himself, it was just that accidents happened when you least expected.

Taking about unexpected, it was indeed outrageous for a Djinn without a master to be so powerful, especially when he was not within his own territory. How did a one-sided fight turn into something like this? He simply had no idea.

The two magi shared a look and nodded in understanding. It was time to use that. Their fingers intertwined as their hands joined together. They closed their eyes and leaned in closer. They could feel their Rukh dancing in a mad dance. Their magoi mixed with each other, gathering at the top of their palms which were outstretched in front of them. It started out slow as a small glowing orb was formed before the orb grew huge in size.

The Djinn charged at the pair and the ground rumbled when he did so. The others could only stare at the scene helplessly, knowing full well that they couldn't possibly interfere without getting themselves killed in the middle of the heated fight.

They clashed. A moment there, everything was covered in white. The whole place shook at the unbelievable force. As fast as it came, the blinding white went away. The dust was still stirred up from the attack and Alibaba coughed while squirming to get a better look at the scene.

It was tiring. Aladdin felt more drained than he had ever been. Panting, he doubled over with his hands on his knees. It was like he had just completed a thousand meters marathon. Judal wasn't doing any better. The elder was in fact trying to regain his breath while wiping away a stray drop of sweat away from his forehead. They never really thought that this move was necessary as it often left the both of them totally exhausted. I guessed there was a reason why there existed a term called 'last resort'.

No one should be able to survive an attack like that, right? Well, the unexpected often happened. The dust cleared away. You could imagine the shocks the pair had when the Djinn emerged unharmed. His huge hands acted as a shield before him.

'It's impossible!' Aladdin screamed mentally in disbelief. It just wasn't possible. No one had ever survived that attack before no matter how strong they were. Was it really possible that this Djinn was so ridiculously strong? If that was the case, then they were clearly no match for him in their current state.

No, something was wrong here. Aladdin deduced the possibility of someone helping this Djinn, providing him with necessary protection as well as magoi. However, the main question here was who?

The question could wait. The Djinn once again took his attack stance and slammed down his hands which were now coated with heat magic. Aladdin and Judal evaded the scorching attack but they knew that they couldn't keep this up very long. That point was further proven when the Djinn managed to push Judal into a wall.

Aladdin realised that Judal's Bolg wasn't able to stand the attack. He needed to do something and fast. With a leap, he moved upwards into the air. The midnight Rukh twirled around his left arms, equipping the child with a sword. Aladdin never really did learn how to use a sword because he never thought that he needed the skill. You could say that he regretted it a little for not looking into the art of swordsmanship.

The blade in his hand was weightless so he could manoeuvre it as he liked. Using the gravity as an advantage, he slashed down towards the Djinn to stop the being from pressing Judal's Bolg anymore than he already did. Besides, it would be a bonus if he actually managed to inflict some injuries upon his opponent. It was like killing two birds with one stone though the bird didn't seemed to allow the stone to do whatever it wanted.

If Aladdin hadn't known the feeling of being suspended in the air before, he certainly did now. His huge sword never did reach the Djinn as he spun around too fast and caught the blade in between his palms. Uh, it wasn't a very good sign…

The child cursed under his breath as he attempted to move the sword downwards but it stubbornly stayed in between the Djinn's palms. Aladdin tried to unequipped the dark Rukh blade. However, the Rukh didn't respond.

Eh? Now, that was strange. The Rukh never did something like this before. They never disobeyed his order so why now? He couldn't understand the reason behind their strange behaviours. Could it be? No, it couldn't be. Aladdin was confused but there existed a huge possibility that this mysterious Djinn was behind all of these.

Aladdin's right hand reached towards his left in an attempt to break free but it didn't even bulge. That was when he noticed a thin white line winding around his right wrist. He was positively sure that it wasn't there before. The thread didn't spark off his sense of touch, almost as if it was just an imagination. Its severed end swung in the air.

He was so fixated on the thread that he failed to notice the growing glow of the Djinn's hands and for the umpteenth time that day, he was tackled by a light. He fell. The Dark Rukh was gone, shattered into the air. His fall was cushioned by a small gust of wind that he managed to gather and for once he thought that he must be hallucinating, yet the pure white thread didn't varnish no matter how much Aladdin blinked and rubbed his eyes.

Instead of disappearing, the thread did the opposite. It shone more brilliantly than any diamond. Aladdin gasped. His eyes wide and a voice echoed, _"Finally, the severed has reconnected."_

Who was there? Aladdin's eyes trailed all over the place but there was no one that matched the mysterious voice. It was like a dream, almost as if the voice was from a dream, a distant dream. He tried to recall the time he had heard the voice and it hit him. It really was from his dream. It was the very same person that showed up in those weird dreams of his.

He must have spaced out longer than he thought as he failed to register Judal's voice until he received a shake on his shoulders. Staring up into the elder's tired eyes, only then did he remembered how tired they were and the weariness sank into every parts of him.

Was it his imagination or that his world was beginning to spin? Aladdin didn't seem to be able to stand properly. His hand instinctively reached to touch his forehead. Everything was becoming blurry.

"Aladdin?" He could barely hear his brother's call when a wave of pain suddenly overcame him and he slumped over. His knees gave out and he sank to the ground with his hands clutching onto his head. Ouch, it hurt! It freaking hurt! His head threatened to explode.

Aladdin wasn't one who would cry out even if he was in pain but the pure agony that was washing through him now made him say otherwise. His nails dug into the scalp of his head as the pain came like tsunami, almost non-stop.

Pain was nothing no matter how intense it was. What made Aladdin scream out loud were the images that flashed through his mind. His right wrist felt warm against his skin and he could only guess that this was the effect of whatever connection that Djinn had mentioned. He perceived many things, many things that he was too afraid to remember. They were those pieces of unwanted memories. Chaotic scene and the cries of numerous people were replaying over and over again, torturing his mind.

He didn't know how much time had passed. A second? A few minutes? It all felt like a century for him. Too much pain and memories had flooded his mind. Finally, he reached a point close to breaking and his body deemed it necessary to protect his mind so it did the logical; shutting down.

Everything was zooming past him and slowly fading into black. He no longer felt his body falling. He just wanted to rest.

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Judal nearly freaked out when Aladdin collapsed suddenly. It was killing him in the inside to see the child in so much pain. At the very least, he caught the falling figure. The familiar weight in his arms was always soothing but now it only fuelled his anger. Judal wouldn't forgive anyone who hurt Aladdin even if it meant to throw away his life for the sake of the child.

Sinbad and Ja'far watched in total confusion. They had not had a slightest idea of what was happening now but their minds registered the withdrawing of the dark Rukh and instantly they felt a thousand times better.

Mor was feeling the same as Sinbad even though she couldn't really see that well from within the water cage. She tried to push away the liquid. She knew that it didn't work before but trying wouldn't hurt, right? Miraculously, the water cage popped and she fell from her initial position in the sky. The shock was overcome quickly. Twisting her body in the air, she managed to land onto the ground unharmed.

Alibaba was relieved when the others were free one by one; even Masrur had regained his senses as he moved towards Sinbad and Ja'far as calm and as collected as ever.

Judal knew from the dispersing spells that Aladdin was knocked out for good. He let the child down and stood. He didn't care about the others for now as they clearly didn't have a reason to interfere. His eyes narrowed and his wand was up within second. He struck.

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Aladdin was back. He scanned through the all too familiar dark space. The only difference was the pure white thread around his wrist, shinning in the total darkness as if guiding him.

He tried to follow the thread when he felt something tangling down at his feet. He looked down only to see pitch black tentacles tying themselves around his feet. Then, the light thread shone. It looked like it was protesting and the dark tentacles shrieked before moving away, unwinding themselves from the child.

Aladdin hadn't felt this light in years. It was like the heavy chains been released. He tried and moved with the thread as his guide. However, before he did so, he turned his head back towards the darkness. He felt as if there was something left undone. Something very important.

The light was soothing and yearning for him but despite that, he could find the strength to leave. He needed to know what was amiss.

"Aladdin." A familiar voice was all he needed to realise what that was. In front of him, a figure appeared. It was a figure he knew well with the discernible red eyes and the dark braid behind him.

"Brother?" Aladdin gasped, confused as to why the elder ended up here. The other didn't response to his call. Instead, several men appeared one by one beside him, all with their faces covered. Aladdin's hand reached out towards Judal when he turned away from Aladdin, walking away into the darkness with the men tailing behind him.

Aladdin didn't want Judal to continue further into the darkness. He didn't want Judal to leave him. His fist clenched beside him. He needed to get out of here and he knew that. Even when the thread tried to tug him forward, he stubbornly refused to move. No, he couldn't leave just yet, not without Judal.

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The Djinn was on rampage though Judal was technically in the same state. The magi threw any magic he knew. The only thing that held him back from going all out was his magoi that was running dangerously low but he couldn't afford to admit defeat yet. It was a matter of life and death, unlike the games he played in the past. He wasn't going to die without bringing this Djinn down with him.

The task, however, seemed to be a whole lot more difficult than he thought. After all, not everything would bear fruit if you only put your heart into it. Judal lost count of how many injuries he got in the process, ranging from light scratches to a few broken ribs or maybe bones.

e triedcHe tried to end the Djinn with a giant ice shard since he succeeded in distracting the giant figure with his light magic earlier.

'That should have done the trick,' Judal smirked, staring down at the ice shard that had managed to stab right into the Djinn's chest. He hadn't anticipated the next move. He was soon trapped in between the gigantic palms like how one would when trying to hit a mosquito. Somehow he didn't really fancy the thought of becoming the poor mosquito.

Luck wasn't on his side as he could feel his Bolg waver and crack. His eyes went wide when the Bolg finally gave up. The last thing he knew was the pain tackling every parts of his body and he hadn't feel worse before. After the pain was a total darkness and his consciousness faded.

Time seemed to slow down when Judal dropped lifelessly onto the ground. Sinbad and the others tried to stay calm when their eyes moved along with the falling magi. This was the end of the fight. Or so they thought.

To their horrors, the Djinn didn't stop there. Apparently, he didn't like to leave things unfinished. The huge hands rose into the air. Clasping them together, the hands were soon blanketed with heat magic.

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Aladdin felt all funny inside. When he reopened his eyes, he hissed and slammed them close again. His headache hadn't gone away but fortunately it was less intense now. Where was him again? Shaking his head a few times to clear his mind, he couldn't help but notice the movement of the Rukh as if they were worried, more like panicking. Something was wrong.

His eyes slowly opened for fear that the movement would trigger unnecessary pain. His vision was still swinging here and there but the panicky from the Rukh made him more desperate. He wasn't sure if he regretted his action or not for the scene before him almost made him jolt up.

The Djinn was going to do something dangerous and deadly. To make matter worse, his target was Judal. That fact made Aladdin's blood ran cold. He needed to do something. No, he must do something. Without taking note of what he was doing, he was on his feet immediately.

The next moment, he found himself facing the Djinn who had his hands up in the air, readied to strike. What the hell was he thinking? He didn't really care. The fact that he wasn't capable of stopping the Djinn was clear in his mind. But still…

His resolve was strong and firm. He stretched his arms out while standing a few feet away from the seriously injured figure of his brother. The intention to protect had long exceeded the intention to destroy. He no longer wished to destroy the Djinn before him but to save his brother. The red hue in his eyes dissolved away and the bright blue was back. The white Rukh chirped and went to the child along with the dark ones.

Even though it was a weak attempt, he still insisted on trying it. Anything would do in this situation. So, he built a shield, one that he knew wasn't capable of defending against the attack that was about to land.

Aladdin glanced over his shoulder at his brother, wincing at the sight of the bruises and cut on the elder's body. A sad smile found its way onto the child's face before he sobered and turned back towards the Djinn. He would do anything to protect Judal even if it meant to sacrifice his own life. He would do it for the sake of the one he cared, the one that had protected him since a long time ago. Now was the time for Aladdin to protect him in return.

The hands were brought down and Aladdin closed his eyes calmly with his arms still outstretched as if welcoming the attack. The shield cracked and fell apart like glasses and Aladdin could feel the heat from the hands. Ah, this was the end for him.

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Alibaba was beyond shocked when Aladdin stepped in between the Djinn and the dark haired magi. He wasn't sure if his eyes were still intact when the shield crumbled away, leaving the child defenceless.

His legs parted and he rushed forward. It didn't matter if they were enemies now, he couldn't bear watching the child died. Damn, did he have to make that peaceful face when he was about to die?

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It was about time he felt the pain, the sensation of being crushed. However, nothing happened. Hesitantly, he let his eyes fly open. What greeted him was the giant figure of the Djinn but that wasn't all. The Djinn was kneeling before him!

What? Could someone explain to him what exactly was happening now? Aladdin's legs grew weak as he backed away from the Djinn, careful not to step on Judal in the process. He plopped down onto the ground while keeping an eye on the Djinn. What was he trying to pull now?

He became more alarmed when the Djinn reached out towards him with a finger. Aladdin clambered away from the appendage but his legs weren't cooperating with him. The finger did nothing though. It only landed on his head gently. That was familiar. The warmth from the finger was familiar. A sense of déjà vu came to Aladdin and it didn't take a long time to recognise the warmth.

"No, you can't be!" Aladdin gasped and stared at the figure before him.

"_**Oh my, it seems that someone is messing with our precious magi."**_

* * *

**It had been quite some time I must say and I'm terribly sorry for the delay...**

Here please search for reneengu deviantart. If you fail to notice an artwork entitled Chapter cover, do inform me. This system here is preventing me from adding the link... More details can be read from there and please...don't mind my art. It had been quite some time since I last drew. Special thanks to all those that have stayed patient all this time.

**If you have noticed, I have decided to continue with the collection of drabbles called Days. More details can be read from there as well and I need some feedback before I decide on anything.**


	15. Chapter 15 : A New Visitor

**Chapter 15 : A New Visitor**

_Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. _**~Martin Luther King, Jr. **

"_**Oh my, it seems that someone is messing with our precious magi."**_

"Sister Kougyoku!" Aladdin called hopefully. The Djinn seemed to notice the newcomers as well and he stood almost immediately whereas Sinbad looked up in surprise at the sudden intrude of the voice.

"Sin!" Ja'far exclaimed from his side and the king nodded before confirming Ja'far's guess. Well, not much of a guess since the symbol was etched on the flying carpet. Kou Empire. It was simply an unbelievable fact that they were using such powerful magical items. They must be rather important. Those were Sinbad's deduction but the only question now was just how important were they?

"Ka Koubun," Kougyoku called. The said man nodded in understanding and leaped from the carpet. Upon his landing, Sinbad and the others stiffened for fear that the man would suddenly attack without warning. However, he didn't attack but instead calmly made him ways towards the magi.

The Djinn that had halted his attack momentarily faced the newcomers with his hands glowed in dangerous glows. Koubun paused in his steps as he stared at the Djinn cautiously, not entirely sure if it was safe for him to continue.

"What? Does that monster still want to fight? How interesting." Kougyoku gave a glance down towards Koubun who turned and met her glance. They held each other's glance for a moment before Kougyoku raised her voice again, claiming that she would fight the Djinn herself.

"Please be careful, princess," Koubun warned, thanking her mentally for allowing a distraction for him to reach the magi.

"Don't worry, leave it to me," she replied. Her hand reached for the hairpin in which her Djinn dwelled while the other pulled her long sleeve over her mouth as she whispered, "You just worry about healing him."

"Spirit of sorrow and solitude, I command thee and thine," Kougyoku chanted with her metal vessels in front of her chest whereas Sinbad and Ja'far was staring up at her in shock. "Use my magoi as your source; use your great power to bring my will to life."

"Come forth, Vinea!" The seal shone and Kougyoku raised the vessel into the air. Followed by the vessel, water gathered out of nowhere, transforming into a form of dragon with its mighty roar echoing throughout the night sky.

"She can wield a Metal Vessel!" Sinbad yelled in realisation. Alibaba just continued to stay rotted to the ground with his eyes wide. The Djinn jumped upwards, trapping the female in between his palms.

Upon contact with the water that was safely surrounding the princess, mist formed as the liquid hissed at the outrageous heat. Inside the barrier of the water, Kougyoku could feel the heat as well as she investigated her reducing barrier in panic. "He's going to evaporate all the water I gathered! You won't get away!"

She knew she was acting like a child, getting so fed up with the loss of some water but who cared about that? She wouldn't let him win. With one swift movement, she placed the vessel forward and the water rushed to coat the vessel. It took only a few moments for the vessel to transform into a huge blade.

The Djinn pursued after the princess who leaped into the air but it turned out that she had been waiting for just that. She descended downwards with her sword aiming at the Djinn. Water rushed past her. Her body became one with her sword which was now similar to a drill as she pierced through the Djinn.

She managed to land safely. Smirking slightly at the sight of the varnishing figure of the Djinn, she knew that she had won the fight.

Aladdin wasn't sure what to say now so he just quietly let Koubun pass through. Even though he was still worried about Judal, he had certain confidence in Koubun. His gaze never left the Djinn until he faded away. He didn't know why but as the large figure disappeared, he could feel his chest tighten uncomfortably.

"How was that, Ka Koubun?" Kougyoku declared proudly.

"I'd expect nothing less of you, princess," He replied without halting his effort in healing the badly injured priest.

"How is my darling Judal?" Kougyoku asked. If it had been any other occasion, Aladdin would have rolled his eyes. Really, Kougyoku still managed to embarrass the hell out of Judal in this kind of situation. Not that he minded. It was just the way Kougyoku say it.

"I'm administering emergency treatment as best I can, but I will need proper facilities to heal him completely," Koubun explained and Aladdin couldn't help but relaxed visibly at that. At least Judal wasn't going to die from the way Koubun spoke.

Aladdin then proceeded to help Koubun lift Judal with his remaining magoi. Before he could go far though, a voice sounded from behind.

"Aladdin!" The said child immediately frowned. It was not quite the voice he was looking forward to hear but still he stopped out of respect.

Alibaba felt like an idiot. Why the hell did he call out to Aladdin for? However, with his seal shinning and urging him to do something about the child, you could say that he did it subconsciously. He knew that this move was stupid but he somehow felt the obligation to do so.

"Are you going to leave with them?" Alibaba didn't know why but his voice came out more shakily than he expected. Was it fear? He didn't understand but one thing was for sure. Somewhere deep down in his heart, he didn't want the child to leave yet. Alibaba was a bit taken aback when he saw Aladdin's eyes widen as if he hadn't expect the obvious question or maybe…wait…was that hesitation Alibaba saw within those blue eyes?

Hope silently bloomed inside Alibaba before it was crashed when a voice questioned, "What's with this boy?"

The blonde snapped his head towards the princess as she continued, "Don't tell me that you're with that monster! And all of those people here are his allies?"

"Huh?" Alibaba sounded. Now, where did she get that idea from? He tried to answer the question but it seemed that she didn't want to hear his reply. Ouch, why was he getting ignored again? Jumping straight into conclusion, Kougyoku raised her weapon. That was when she noticed the seal on Alibaba's sword and she smiled.

"So, you're a dungeon capturer too. Great, then we can have some fun!" She exclaimed. Alibaba gasped and pulled his hands up in defence but the princess didn't seem to care whatever act the blonde was trying to pull. With a superior tone, she commanded, "Enshin, Entai, Engi! Kill them."

To Alibaba's horror, the three masked figures on the flying carpet leaped from the carpet and landed on the ground with their shadows towering over the crowd. They didn't look like humans with their abnormal features. Accordingly to the princess' order, they commenced to attack the innocents. One of them used his trunk (?) and swept at the building. The concrete building collapsed but he didn't stop there. Ignoring pleads of help from the people below, he slammed them away.

"Stop him, Masrur!" Sinbad hurriedly ordered. The Finalis stood directly in front of the inhuman figure and with his strength he pushed him back in an attempt to stop the guy from bursting forward. Masrur did manage to stop him from advancing but it was still a surprise for the opponent was actually on equal footing with him.

Sinbad could only make a simple guess of what they were when he saw the monstrous strength. His musing, however was interrupted when a blade came. He barely managed to block it, kicking himself mentally for having his guard down. Their blades crashed a few more time but Sinbad was sure he could overpower him. It would probably take a while but he could eventually.

Meanwhile, Morgiana was having a hard time locating her fast moving opponent. He was moving so rapidly that she couldn't even keep track of his movement. There was once when he actually got behind her. If not for Ja'far, Morgiana would most probably suffer from a hit or two. Agreeing in haste to help Ja'far, she decided to give her very best. She wasn't going to back out without a fight.

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Alibaba's neck hurt from twisting to every corner as he heard the sorrow and shouts of the people. His eyes were wide and he could hear his heart throbbing. Before he could rush to save them, the princess held her sword high and gave a clean swipe.

"Spirits of sorrow and solitude, I command thee. Cover my form, live in my frame." Kougyoku smirked. "Change me into a great magician! Vinea!"

The water had gone from her shoulder to cover her body. Alibaba could only watch in confusion but judging from the smirk she wore, it wasn't anything good. He drew his knife and braced himself for whatever she would throw at him. However, thankfully that whatever she was trying to do was halted by a firm grab on her wrist.

"Please stop, miss," Sinbad stated.

"What do you think you're doing?" She asked fiercely. In the next moment, her transformation started to cancel out and she dropped down to the ground in disbelief. "What?"

"My lady, am I right to assume that you are a princess of the Kou Empire?" Sinbad inquired.

"Who are you?" was all Kougyoku managed to say.

"I am Sinbad, the King of Sindria." At the declaration, Kougyoku found herself gaping as a blush found its way to her cheeks. She blamed it on the full moon. She was feeling this very unsettle feeling in her chest and it was the first time she had felt this. Therefore, it was a very foreign emotion to her.

She blinked when she felt the steady flow of warmth from the king's hand. Embarrassed further, she shrieked, "Ho-How long are you going to continue holding my hand?" Withdrawing her hand swiftly, she placed the hand on her chest, feeling the thumping heart.

"I apologise, princess. Don't you think it's improper for two people in our positions to be fighting here?" Sinbad questioned. Kougyoku felt her cheeks heat up more and she couldn't help stuttering. Her pride was too much for her to let go and she wouldn't just give in to his demand.

Aladdin snorted, turning his head away from the scene. Sinbad stared at the child and an idea popped into his mind.

"Aladdin," The king called and the said child raised an eyebrow at the call. He tilted his head a bit, just enough to catch a glimpse of the purple hair that swung in sync with the wind. "I think that your top priority now isn't getting rid of us, right?" He was gambling, betting all their lives on the line.

The child turned fully towards the king. His frown never ceased. Sinbad was right though, he couldn't care less of what would happen to them but for now he just wanted to get back and help Judal to recover from the severe injuries. Staring into the king's stern glance for what seemed like the longest moment; he lowered his gaze and with a defeated sigh, he pointed a finger towards Kougyoku. It was as if he was saying, "If you can convince the princess to leave, then I'll too."

Sinbad had a nice control over his facial expressions. That was all he had ever been proud of no matter how Ja'far tended to correct him. He didn't let the relief shown though his face when Aladdin made that motion.

"Princess, certain circumstances have led to my presence here in this country. If such is the case for you as well, I would love to meet you in a more appropriate location," Sinbad spoke to the now standing princess before him. What he didn't expect though was the willingness of the princess to cooperate.

"Everyone." Kougyoku frantically fingered her pin, placing it back in place. Ah, Aladdin could guess what was going to happen next. Seeing her Rukh was all it took to get the hold of the situation and he yawned tiredly. Well, it seemed that Sinbad had some capability as the High King of the Seven Seas though he wasn't sure if this had anything to do with his proficiency in the usage and choice of words.

"Yes?" Ka Koubun responded.

"We're leaving."

"Huh? B-but, princess-"

"I said we're leaving!" Kougyoku insisted without sparing a glance back at the man. Aladdin sighed once more before he shook his head. She was getting all stubborn again. He gave a sympathetic glance at Ka Koubun who trailed reluctantly behind the princess.

"And you! It's not like I'm leaving just because you told me to, got it?" Kougyoku clarified. Aladdin scratched his cheek, knowing that it was actually the exact opposite of what she was doing. 'How very honest.' Aladdin thought sarcastically.

Aladdin was about to follow as well when he spotted the blonde at the corner of his eyes. The eight pointed seal in his knife reminded Aladdin about something and the child deliberately made a detour towards the blonde. Or at least he tried to before a hand landed on his shoulder. He threw a glance backwards and was met with a mask.

Aladdin frowned, understanding the message within that particle motion and so he gave a heavy nod. The other seemed to be satisfied as he released his hold on the child's shoulder but his eyes never left the small figure.

Aladdin never forgot his initial motive though. He looked straight into the blonde's eyes and words were threating to leave his mouth.

"Alibaba," Aladdin breathed out as quietly as he could. That got the full attention of the said blonde as the child's voice held no malice. Instead it was cautious, almost as if it would break if further force was added. Alibaba waited and waited but no more sound left the child's lips and his hope dimmed.

Aladdin took a sideway glance at the masked figure beside Kougyoku who was still looking at his direction. That was when he decided that now wasn't the best time to talk about things like this.

"So, until next time then." With one last look at the blonde, Aladdin left alongside with the Kou Empire troupe.

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"They really left," Alibaba gasped out. "Thank goodness."

"Is there anyone injured?" He shouted. In his mind, he couldn't help but think about Aladdin. What was he thinking now? The last look he received from the child was no longer composed of hatred but…confusion. There wasn't much he could do about now. All that was left to do was to tend to the injured and thought about what to do next.

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It was horrible. In one night, they gained so many injured. The only thing worth relieving was the fact that there wasn't any casualty. However, the situation was not so good for their side. If the Kou Empire was capable of causing so many damages in one night, then there was not guarantee to their safety. Heck, they might not even stand a chance against their next attack if they intended one.

Therefore, there wasn't much choice in what to do. They would have to regroup and think of a way out of this. At the very least, Morgiana was a real help to them by aiding them in treating the wounded.

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It was frustrating to say the very least for Morgiana. She had wanted to help those two before returning to her homeland. How very frustrating that thing had to turn up like this. She couldn't do anything.

What Morgiana didn't notice was that someone was having the same feeling as her and the said person was sulking in his room. Alibaba hissed in pain when his hand ghosted over an injury.

"Dammit…What's the matter with me?" He recalled the time he had been blasted into the wall. He remembered the feeling of pain throughout his frame but he knew that no matter how painful he had felt physically was nothing compared to what his heart was feeling now. He thought of his uselessness, the sight of those people getting attacked and finally a friend he had unnecessarily hurt.

What's the use of having a metal vessel if he can't wield it properly? Wait…Speaking of the metal vessel, Amon's seal had been shinning for a while now. What was wrong with it? Frustrated, Alibaba picked up his metal vessel and stared at it. His fingers were gracing over the bright seal and he could feel the warmth radiance at his fingertips.

"What's it, Amon?" Alibaba muttered. "What's it that you are trying to tell me?"

He knew that Amon wouldn't reply him but he couldn't help but stared at the eight pointed seal. Drawing in a deep breathe, he let go of the breath once again before deciding that staring wouldn't take him anywhere. Thus, he placed the knife back down onto the bed. That motion brought a sharp pain at his waist and he grunted. Ah, he forgot about his wounds.

Now, let's see... He got a wound here and another there. Wait, how did he get injured there as well? Argh, he didn't have time to spend on healing. He was so focused on checking over his wounds that he had not notice that he had taken a rather questionable post.

Talked about perfect timing, the door swung open to reveal Morgiana by the door. Eh? There was a stunned moment of silence before screams tore through the space.

"What are you doing?" Morgiana inquired. Her arms threw up to cover her eyes from the corrosive image.

"I-I was just checking over my wounds!" explained Alibaba hastily, for fear that the female might get the wrong idea out of his pose. Who wouldn't?

It took a few moments for them to finally recover from the initial shock and panic.

"Seriously, why didn't you ask for someone to help you dress your wounds?" Morgiana lectured.

"It's fine," Alibaba insisted. "I just wanted to take care of them really fast."

Morgiana said nothing about that but she couldn't help but thought of how stubborn Alibaba sounded. She knew that he had been pushing himself very hard and she knew that he was desperately distracting himself from the feeling of guilt that had somehow thickened since the last meeting with Aladdin. She didn't need to think too deeply to notice that Alibaba was blaming himself for all that had happened.

That was when she took note of the shining seal on the blonde's knife. "Alibaba…your blade…" gasped Mor confusingly.

Alibaba's eyes travelled across the bed and landed on the subject of attention. Hesitantly, he curled his fingers around the handle to pull the blade closer. Mor's eyes followed his movement and an eyebrow was raised when Alibaba sighed suddenly.

"I…I don't get it…" Alibaba managed to croak out. Mor tilted her head curiously while Alibaba frowned. Patiently, Mor waited for Alibaba to continue his sentence as the blonde examined the blade in his hand.

"This is strange…" He mumbled. "It's as if Amon is trying to tell me something. What's it I wonder? I keep getting this feeling that something needs to be done."

Morgiana thought about Alibaba's words for a while before she remembered something. "Could it be about Aladdin?"

Morgiana could see Alibaba tensed up at the mention of the younger's name and she almost regretted bringing up the name. She was about to apologise when she noticed that the other had balled his fists until his knuckles turned white.

Bitter chuckle rang throughout the air as the blonde's hand made its way to his forehead. He glanced up at the ceiling, taking in every detail of the white roof even though there was nothing much to be beheld. Nothing… The word itself brought his mind back to a particular someone and his eyes dimmed. He no longer found the strength to even look at the ceiling.

"I'm pathetic, aren't I?" He shakily commented. "I can't do anything right…I can't help but feel responsible for these things that had happened. It's my entire fault…"

Morgiana raised a hand absentmindedly, not entirely sure what to say now. "It's not your fault" was all she could say.

"No, it's my fault." Alibaba's voice was stern and his eyes narrowed into a glare. A scorn spread across his face and his nose wrinkled in displease. "If only I didn't say those words…if only I wasn't so stupid to hurt him…then maybe things won't turn up like this. It's my fault."

Morgiana frowned. Her lips pursed into a line. "It's not your fault," she repeated, trying to get her point straight. Nobody knew what was going to happen in the future, right? Therefore, why should they torment themselves with the past? It wasn't like anything could be changed now. It had, after all already become an undeniable truth.

"How wasn't it my fault? Won't you feel hurt just as Aladdin did if the same thing happened to you? Won't you hate me for that? I had been a terrible friend and the pain I had inflicted on Aladdin…I just…I just can't forgive myself. He should have been happy…" Alibaba trailed off because in the end, Aladdin was still a child. He should be smiling and laughing, enjoying life and rejoicing. No, instead, Alibaba had pulled him through such a terrible experience. A child was never meant to deal with this sort of stress and it was all understandable as to why he behaved that way.

Morgiana said nothing more. Her gaze never left the blonde. It might be true that Morgiana didn't really have any friend to begin with but the second meeting she had with Aladdin changed that. Initially, she wanted to repay the child for setting her free. However, along the way, she had gained something in return; she had learnt to make friend.

The time they spent travelling to Balbadd had brought them closer. Thus, even when she knew that Aladdin was more than what he seemed, she never questioned it. She just wanted to help him in every way she could think of, trying her very best to help a friend.

The child had been a good friend. An irreplaceable one. So, the option of leaving the child never existed in her dictionary. True, she was angry when Alibaba did something so harsh to Aladdin but now, she couldn't bring herself to stay furious at the blonde, especially when he too had tried really hard.

The blonde soon left, saying that he would catch some fresh air and Morgiana's gaze followed the blonde until his back disappeared from her view. She sighed and kept her head low, wondering what Aladdin was doing at the moment.

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"Hey, wake up soon, okay? It isn't fun anymore if you are going to stay like this," Aladdin said, sitting on a chair beside the bed where the other magi lied. The child soon got off the chair and knelt beside the bed. Setting his head down onto his crossed arms, he continued to stare at the sleeping figure before him.

Most of the injuries had been healed though there were still faint marks of the bruises and cuts but those would eventually fade to nothingness. The elder had been asleep for a long time now ever since they returned. Thinking that he must have been exhausted, Aladdin was soon reminded of the fact that he too, was exhausted.

The strange thing was that he never did sleep much. From the moment they returned, he had only gotten a meagre amount of sleep as insisted by Kougyoku but other than that, Aladdin had not dared to doze off. His magoi was no way near replenished. Despite knowing the fact, he still couldn't bring himself to sleep. It was as if there was something left that needed to be done but he couldn't figure that out so he just spent his time watching the steady rise and fall of the elder's chest that painfully reminded him of those wounds and pain the elder must have suffered.

Moving his hand cautiously, his smaller hand touched the bigger one with tender for fear that the action might bring another wave of pain. Cold. The elder's hand was cold and he gripped the icy hand. His blue eyes grew dark and there was a pang of guilt in his chest.

Judal always had such lank fingers. He once again noticed. What was the elder seeing now behind those heavy eyelids? Was he dreaming of peaceful things or was he dreaming of a nightmare or was he simply dreaming of nothingness? Aladdin sighed and his eyes lidded. Maybe some sleep wouldn't hurt. Having his magoi running low like this wasn't entirely helpful for the situation anyway.

He would have surrendered to the sleepiness if not for a weird sound he heard from below. He detached himself from the bed and sighed. Should he ignore it or should he not? Well, it wouldn't harm to find out, right? Therefore, he looked out and spotted a group of people that looked like they were leaving the castle.

It should be normal for someone to leave the castle but what was with the secretive atmosphere? Something was up and he was sure of it. Now, here came the question; Follow or not? Definitely the former. He couldn't stand secret. Besides, there was an odd tug in his heart, gently pleading him to do so as if that was a link to whatever he needed to know. He flinched when the troupe accidentally made another noise, loud but not loud enough to alarm the others.

Aladdin took cover behind the wall when the men glanced around to make sure that no one had noticed them before they returned to set up for their leave.

"With their skills, I highly doubt that they will be able to leave without being noticed…" Aladdin muttered. It wasn't his business and he knew it. Argh, so why did he feel so obligated to help them? Just for the sake of fulfilling his curiosity. He chanted repeatedly in his mind, trying to convince that that was the only reason he wanted to help them and it was definitely not out of kindness. Yep, definitely not kindness…maybe…

"There is still something I have to do…even when I don't know for sure what it is…" Aladdin whispered to the sleeping figure. With one last glance, he smiled and jumped down from the window. Time to go.

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Alibaba's steps fell into a steady rhythm. How he wished for his mind to do the same. He thought about many things. He recalled many things too. What was he doing up until now? Was he really fighting and trying his best? Or was he just a coward like before?

"Chief!" A voice shouted from afar and he looked up to find several men of the Fog Troupe coming towards him. They were one of the few who loyally stayed.

"What should he do now?" Another asked.

"What's going to happen to the Fog Troupe? To the slums?"

"Chief!"

"Tell us, chief!"

Alibaba didn't know what to say. The situation was grave and he couldn't find it in himself to crush what little hope they had within him.

"It'll be okay. Calm down." Oh, thank goodness. Sinbad had arrived. It was almost as easy as taking a breath for Sinbad to assure the men. The men left with newly strengthened hope, saying something about treating the wounded and readying the supplies. Watching their backs as they chatted away, discussing what to do and get ready for, Alibaba once again felt inferior and undeniably weak.

'Dammit! Why am I so useless?' Alibaba mentally cursed. He couldn't help anyone. He couldn't even reassure them! His hands trembled. He was so weak and pathetic. He couldn't do anything right. A flash of blue danced past his mind and he found himself frustrated…again. Ruffling his hair roughly, he shook his head to clear his mind. He was sure Kassim could have done a much better job. Kassim was always more of a leader than he was.

Now that he thought of it, where was Kassim? He had yet seen him since he got back from the palace. Did something happen to him? Where was him when there were so many people that needed him?

"We've got a problem!" Alibaba's heart managed a skip when he heard that. Damn! Why did everything have to come crashing down like this? Problems just had to announce their arrivals one by one, much like never-ending waves.

"It's bad! The army is moving in on us!"

"What?"

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"Barkak!" Alibaba yelled in realisation as he spotted the familiar figure that stood beside the carriage.

"Young master!" Barkak greeted with his hands outstretched in the air as Alibaba closed in. Alibaba couldn't describe the feeling of relief when Barkak said that. He was so glad that the elder hadn't changed for the worse and was still in fact the same as he was before when he taught him the royal swordplay.

"You've changed so much, young master! It's hard to imagine you as the child I taught royal swordplay to all those years ago." Ah, did he really change that much? Alibaba didn't notice.

"Why are you here?" He asked. Naturally, he scanned the carriage and he took notice of a figure behind the carriage's door which was opened a tad. He gasped when he recognised who exactly the figure was. "Brother Sahbmad?"

"You're amazing, Alibaba," the Deputy King stated with his shaky voice. His frame visibly trembled as his grip on the door tightened. "You lead a whole troupe of thieves down here. Simply amazing…"

Alibaba stared at him as he continued, "I could never do something like that. I'm hopeless… Whenever I'm faced with a crowd of strangers, my legs just won't stop shaking."

"Sahbmad…" Alibaba was confused to receive such a praise all of the sudden. Before he could say anything though, Barkak spoke, "Young lord, the Deputy King came here because he has something very important to tell you."

"To us, this is enemy territory. Please understand that the Deputy King has risked his life to journey here," he resumed, moving to stand in front of the door.

"If it isn't Sahbmad!" Sinbad's voice rang from behind.

"King Sinbad…" Sahbmad addressed.

"It's very brave of you to come out here among all these strangers," Sinbad commented, taking steady steps forward and towards the carriage. "You're not here because Ahbmad told you to come, are you?" Sinbad added suspiciously.

"No," Sahbmad replied. His legs had long given up and he curled himself into a ball as an attempt to calm himself. "I had to apologise… I put your life in danger."

"I see. So it was you," Sinbad mentioned.

"Huh?"

"The Fog Troupe's informant knew way too much. He had to be a person in a high place of power. He leaked info about the army to the Fog Troupe, and also informed the Fog Troupe that I was after them. So, you're the rat, huh?" Sinbad analysed. The king could be sharp when he wanted to and Alibaba had found himself once again amazed by the king and of course shocked of the revolution.

"I didn't know anything," Alibaba admitted. Just imagine him, as a leader knew nothing about significant thing like this!

"I did it because of Alibaba," Sahbmad voiced. "I thought if Alibaba was the one leading the Fog Troupe, then they just might be able to do something for this country."

"Sahbmad…"

"Alibaba is always able to do the things that I couldn't. I wanted Alibaba to stop Ahbmad!" The Deputy King admitted.

"Stop Ahbmad?" Sinbad gasped in confusion. "What is so bad about Ahbmad that even his Deputy King would choose to support thieves to stop him?"

"I'm afraid of Ahbmad…But I'm even more afraid of the things that Ahbmad is trying to do…The fact that I don't know how this country has fallen to this point is the scariest thing of all!" Sahbmad exclaimed and began to tremble in fear, unable to continue further.

"I will explain," Barkak offered, gripping onto Sahbmad by his shoulders to reassure the Deputy King. "The abnormalities started right when the previous king fell sick."

Barkak closed his eyes as if to recall the events that occurred that day.

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There was this very strange and suspicious man that came out of blue to meet Sahbmad. He mentioned that his name was Banker and offered to take care of everything. He called himself a financial advisor but there was something off about him that Barkak couldn't put his fingers on.

However, during that time, Balbadd's trade with Partevia was at a standstill and the economic situation was worsening by the day. Since the man said that he had fixed the financial situations of many other countries before, Sahbmad decided to follow his advice. That decision was proven to be the worst decision he ever made.

The Banker introduced fuan, money with a fixed value that was backed by the Kou Empire, to Ahbmad. He gave them mountains of the paper money and asked them to experience them. Truth to be told, the money really could be traded for all sorts of expensive goods, handicrafts, supplies and special products. The Banker was willing to lend us as much fuan as we wanted and that naturally fuelled their greed. As a result of that, Balbadd's economy was soon completely dependent on the fuan.

They were too careless to not notice the trap that awaited them. On the surface, everything seemed to be going on just fine but in order to borrow fuan, they would have to pay interest. The main problem was that the value of fuan slowly started to change. It was as if its value was decreasing and unstable.

All those transactions eventually led to a huge loss for the country. Naturally, their debt expanded tremendously like a burning wild fire. They had to take on more loans to pay back their previous loans and this was where things started to escalate. Banker refused to lend them the money for free anymore.

What followed was the seizing of maritime rights, territorial rights and trading rights as collateral. Because of that, people suffered from the ever-rising taxes and the meagre amount of supplies. In order to silence the voices of discontent, the King blocked off the slums and abandoned all those living there. Cruel, wasn't he? This was exactly how far a person blinded by greed would take. The royalty and nobles in charge of the government did not feel the danger from the situation. They only cared for their life.

Running up of assets to be used as collateral, King Ahbmad decided to hand over the rights of the people as collateral.

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Sahbmad could still remember the feeling of fear and shock when he heard that.

"What? What do you mean he used our people's rights as collateral?" Alibaba yelled in disbelief. He couldn't believe this. He never imagined Ahbmad to be so…unreasonable and pardon his language, retard.

"He's going to sell Balbadd's citizens to Kou Empire, Laem, Partevia! He plans on making Balbadd into a slave-production country!" Shocks were evidenced on each and every one of their faces. The word 'slave' immediately caught Morgiana's attention. She knew the pain and sorrow one had to go through. Broken families…lost lives…She would never forgive anyone who treated people that way. Apparently, this Ahbmad had some serious issues.

"Every day, Ahbmad spends money like water. He no longer cares for anything else. The nobles and bureaucrats too care for their own comfortable lives so they obeyed Ahbmad."

"Deputy King!" Mor cut in his rambling and approached the said person. "Did you come here because you want us to stop Ahbmad's plans?"

Sahbmad, a bit shocked of the sudden outburst, stammered out his reply and Mor stormed off towards Alibaba. With her hands on Alibaba's shoulders, she asked him to do it. No, she insisted him to do it, to put an end to this madness!

Everyone was calling his name, pleading him to make a decision. He scanned the area. His eyes stayed on Sinbad who didn't do anything to help him. Feeling a bit pressured, he lowered his gaze and gritted his teeth.

"Please help, Alibaba!" Sanbmad began again. Mor stood back to allow the Deputy King to talk properly to Alibaba. "You need to act now, before the signing the signing ceremony."

"What signing ceremony?" came the question form Sinbad.

"In five days, Ahbmad will marry a princess of the Kou Empire. At that time, the contract to use the people of Balbadd as collateral will also be signed."

Taking the same pose as Morgiana, Sahbmad desperately begged the blonde to do something about the king as he was powerless and couldn't do anything to stop him.

"The situation speaks for itself. Could you let me handle this?" Sinbad questioned as he couldn't stand the depressing atmosphere. "I will ask Sindria's allies to submit a formal objection to the government of Balbadd. I'll definitely put an end to Ahbmad's absurd idea to sell his own citizens as slaves."

Alibaba visibly relaxed at that though Sahbmad seemed a bit hesitant as he stared at Alibaba.

"Deputy King," Barkak called. "We must take our leave."

"Before you leave though, I have a question for you," Sinbad halted their movement. They paused and turned towards him.

"How did you manage to get here with your troupe without getting noticed?" Sinbad inquired. It should be quite hard to escape the eyes of the guards and not to mention the recent addition to the palace. Therefore, out of pure curiosity, Sinbad wanted to know. It would, after all be bad if someone actually noticed them.

"That's…" Sahbmad nervously trailed off and glanced back towards the carriage which made Sinbad raised a questioning eyebrow.

"I'll take it from here if you don't mind." The door of the carriage was swung open slowly and a figure emerged from within.

Gasps were heard and Alibaba's eyes widened. One really needed a strong heart to deal with all the surprises that could occur in one day.

"Aladdin?" Alibaba heard his own voice crack as the said child skipped down the steps. For the longest time, they stared straight into each other's eyes. Each with an unreadable expression. Tension grew as time passed. Sensing the nervousness in the air, Sahbmad glanced back and forth at the pair.

Finally, Aladdin breathed out and some of the tension escaped. He gave a look at the Deputy King and nodded. "You guys can get going if you want to and don't worry. The magic will still work even when I'm not there."

Nodding, Barkak led the Deputy King away while Aladdin stayed rooted to the spot. The horses gave a shriek and sped off, leaving dusts to fly in the air.

As the sounds of the horses faded in the background, silence slowly crept back. No one dared to make a sound or move, alarmed to any action the child might make. Before anyone had a chance to speak, the child shifted. With his eyes narrowed, he declared, "I'm here to talk."

* * *

**STATUS : Depressed**

***sniff* My rabbit along with its born but still didn't manage to survive children passed away... T.T**

**Life can be so depressing sometimes...(not to mention the exam will start by the end of this week...)**

**I will see you guys again soon after my exam is over which will most likely take about 2 or 3 weeks...**

***continue to draw circles at one of the corners***


	16. Chapter 16 : Turning Point

**Chapter 16 : Turning Point**

_Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage. _**Lao Tzu**

"_**I'm here to talk."**_

Those simple words that left his mouth were like a bomb set upon them. The people watched with fearful eyes at the young child. Silence fell heavily upon them. The seriousness in the air caused many to sniffer and tense.

Sinbad was the one who recovered first and he marched forward bravely. He gave the child a good once-over, his mind processing as to what the child was planning. By the look of it, it was possible that the child was in no mood to kill them…yet.

How very strange though, a child instilled fear in the heart of many. It pained him to see a child with a promising future became like this. If he could, only if he could, he would help this child. He had heard from Alibaba about how the child acted when they first met. He almost didn't believe that the child in front of him now was capable of smiling without an ill intention, to gush over tiny little things and to share joyous moments with others like any other children would.

Standing away with a safe distance from the child, Sinbad spoke, "What do you wish to talk about?"

"Amon," Aladdin droned. Receiving the confused stare from the King of Sindria, he resumed, "I wish to speak with Amon."

Perplexed, Sinbad had a serious demeanor as he debated on whether to let the child who was trying to kill them a day ago meet with Alibaba's Djinn.

"Please." It was a whisper that followed. No one could possibly hear that except for Sinbad. The king's eyes widened. The child was looking really exhausted somehow. His eyes were dim and tired.

"I understand. However before that, I would like to ask you something."

Aladdin wearily gave Sinbad a long look before he complied. "What's it then?"

"Why are you working with them?" Sinbad questioned.

"Working with them?" Aladdin asked, not entirely sure what the king was trying to say. "Ah, you mean the Kou Empire, right"

Granting a nod from the king, Aladdin's eyes travelled along the people. "Even if you ask me, I don't think I'll be able to give you an answer."

"And why is that?" Sinbad pushed further. Aladdin had begun to wonder why he even bothered to answer him in the first place.

"Because…I don't think I know the full reason myself." Aladdin knew that that answer wasn't enough to quench Sinbad's thirst of knowledge so he added, "If you insist on knowing the reason, then I'd say that it's for fun."

"You're lying, right?" Sinbad pointed out sharply. "No one will work for others just simply because it's fun."

Aladdin's eyes narrowed skeptically on the king while the king ignored the glare and resumed, "You must have someone important to you, right? Someone you must definitely protect."

"What are you implying?" Aladdin pressed. He really didn't get him sometimes. Alibaba watched the exchange with worry as he willed his body not to flinch when Aladdin turned to meet his gaze. The hard glare dissolved suddenly but only for a moment. Alibaba managed to suppress a gasp when a soft tender light made itself known in those blue orbs.

"Everyone here shares the same feeling regarding that. Each and every one of us here has someone they have to protect…"Sinbad trailed off; his voice no longer hard and demanding. Aladdin turned to meet the crowd and he saw that every single one of them held a certain degree of determination in their eyes; their wills were spoken clearly. He let his eyes close slightly and glanced from the slits at the night sky.

Meanwhile, Sinbad was debating whether he should continue or not but since he had already started it, might as well continue. He could only hope that no matter how unbelievably strong those magi were, they were still the same as them. They felt the same sensation as normal people did. They were humans despite the damages they could inflict overnight. They still held a heart somewhere deep down and the heart was often reserved for something or someone with utmost importance to them.

"I'm sure you know their feelings well. Then, why don't you help us?" Sinbad offered.

"Help you?" Aladdin voiced in a tone of disbelief as he reverted his glance back to the king.

"Yeah."

"To fight?"

"Yeah."

"Against Kou Empire?"

"Yeah." Sinbad had promptly and swiftly replied to all the questions, leaving no room for further doubt. It was then Aladdin let out a roar of laughter.

Ja'far was trying hard not to slam his fist into the back of the king's head. What the hell was that idiot thinking? He was actually going to ask help from the enemy?

Clutching his stomach, he wiped away a stray tear from the corner of his eye and struggled to stand. "You…you just said the most unexpected and ridiculous thing in the world!" This man was just too interesting for his own good.

Sinbad maintained a clam façade even when the child collapsed into laughter. His mind was calculative and processing his next move.

"You know something, Sinbad? Even though brother commented that you're such an idiot, you are in truth interesting and highly amusing when you want to be. You make a great king and I respect you because of that. However, for your information, I will not help you…I have no reason to. After all, whatever feelings you uttered are useless for me."

"What?" Alibaba voiced, almost in disbelief.

"That's right. Feelings are just mere excuses for being weak. If it's meant to be hurt, then I do rather dispose of these insignificant things you called feelings."

"Are you fine with that?" A raging voice echoed. Alibaba was slightly taken aback when the female who had stayed silent for so long beside him roared. Alibaba mentally slapped himself as he let a small smile past his face. What was happening to him? Even Mor knew what to do under this situation. He couldn't let himself lose face here, could he?

"That's right! Are you really fine with that?" Alibaba, encouraged by Mor's outburst exclaimed as well. Aladdin cracked open an eye lazily and stared into the other's blazing ones. "Aren't you truly happy back when we met? Aren't you thrilled when we conquered the dungeon? Are you willing to lose all those feelings?"

"Those things…I don't even remember…" Aladdin tried to shout back, trying to tell them that those things were just useless but words died on his tongue when he recalled a time when he barely remembered. It was a scene, beautifully painted with bright light. He watched himself laugh at his brother as they rested under a shady tree that too was beautiful and huge.

"When? Where?" Not knowing the fact that he was zooming out in public, he muttered out loud. Keeping a hand on his forehead as he tried to remember where and when he had such a blissful expression on his face.

'The child was experiencing something.' Sinbad knew and recognized it as some sort of recollection. That was when realization hit him. Motivated by the sign of conflict within the child, Sinbad continued, "Aladdin, I'm curious about something."

That gained Aladdin's attention as he shook himself out of the stupor.

"Can it be that…" Sinbad was trying to say something but Aladdin's mind had long taken a leave. It wasn't like he was ignoring him deliberately. He was just taken aback. There was a voice in his mind, whispering.

"_To be able to gain complete control over…"_

Aladdin jolted. The whisper was like venom spreading inside his body and subconsciously he tensed.

"…you're being…" Sinbad drawled. Aladdin barely took note of what he was saying as his mind was too busy fending off the memories that threatened to surface.

"_We'll have to do that…"_

It was still there. That annoying whisper. He knew that no matter what he did now wouldn't help to stop whatever that would come eventually but he could always try. A piercing headache gained its way to him and his vision blurred.

Scared. He was scared to return to the darkness where he knew he would find no one to help him…where he was all alone. That was why he was trying so hard not to lose sight of whatever he was glimpsing on so that he wouldn't have to face the total darkness yet again.

"…used?" Sinbad finally concluded. Aladdin's eyes were in daze and almost as if that single word had sparked off something, the child felt as if everything was shaking and trembling. The last part of the whisper was spoken repeatedly as if to forever carve it into his mind.

"_**Erase the memories."**_

Aladdin didn't know what he was seeing or hearing now. A moment he was there and the next he was back in the darkness. He felt like his consciousness was splitting. No, he didn't want to remember. It hurt too much. He brought his hands up, endeavouring to block away the whispers that were heavily repeated like a broken radio.

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'Is Aladdin okay?' Alibaba wondered in worry. The child's eyes were wide and not to mention the fact that he had brought his hands up as if trying to block away something. The small child was panting and breathing way too fast to be normal. What was it that affected him so much?

Panic soon filled Alibaba's being.

"Hey! Aladdin! Are you okay?" The blonde yelled. His legs parted as he drew himself closer to the child.

The sounds of the trudging footsteps alerted Aladdin. He didn't know what to expect but one thing was for sure. He didn't want anyone to be near him now.

"Go away!" He shooed. That declaration managed to make the blonde pause in his steps but he soon resumed his initial movement. What was making the blonde so difficult to even understand two simple words?

The feeling of another's skin brushing against his warned him. Aladdin reached out to push the blonde away. His fingertips connected with a cold metal and the next moment, everything was engulfed in a bright light.

Aladdin allowed his mind to finally calm down a bit as he saw the light. The presence of the Djinn Amon seeped into the space as he materialised. With his sudden appearance, he had certainly sent waves of shock and surprise to the others.

"_**So, magi we meet again,"**_ The Djinn spoke in his ever wise tone.

"Amon," Aladdin addressed.

"_**It seems that you have something you needed to ask, right?"**_

"You knew that I am going to come?" Aladdin gasped in disbelief. The Djinn gave a nod as he stretched his hand.

"_**Everything is within the wheel of fate. The time had come for you to meet him,"**_ he explained while a thread of light made itself visible to him; with its end coiled around the child's wrist.

"Him? How?" Aladdin asked. How very confusing was it.

"_**You know how,"**_ The large form pointed out. _**"You heard the call. Answer it and you will see the truth. Follow the thread of light and it will guide you to the truth."**_

Now, this was very confusing indeed. They barely talked more than twice and there was some sort of obligation he had to do? He hated this.

Aladdin never got the time to voice his displease as he felt a shock that made him jump a bit. Followed by the shock was an intense pain and difficulty to breathe. He clutched his chest and gasped for air. Droplets of sweats dripped down from his forehead.

"_**It seems like I have to take my leave. Your body can no longer handle any more magoi usage. Not in your condition at least. Farewell, magi." **_With that, his large form slowly faded and soon there was nothing left.

Aladdin subtly registered his words and sank down, panting. He should have rested more back at the palace. His hands were the only things pushing him away from the ground and his breath wasn't getting any better.

"Aladdin!" Great, just what he needed; the last person he wanted to see in this world. He didn't want him to be anywhere close him so he gathered, collected what little strength he had to summon the Rukh. The Rukh was then sent to bind them; whoever that was trying to come near. That proved to be a heavy burden in his state for his breath was knocked out of him and he collapsed into a coughing fit.

"Aladdin!" That annoying voice again. Why did he care anywhere? His chest was rising at a rapid rate, trying to grip onto any breath of air he could get but nonetheless he kept his restrains on the others. He was just that determined to allow no one near him for he thought if he could hold on long enough then they would cease to care.

However, he was wrong about that.

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Alibaba struggled against the dark bird-like creatures around him. They were forcefully blocking his way to the child who seemed to be getting paler and paler in every passing second. He knew that Aladdin would grow physically weak if he ran out of magoi. He had seen it when they were trying to clear the dungeon. What worried him the most was the fact that the younger had looked much worse than before.

His brown eyes darted to the others and he was shocked to find them in the same condition as he was in. To restrain so many people in one go, the younger's body wouldn't be able to take it for long. From the look on Sinbad's face, he knew that the king was thinking about the same thing with his eyes narrowed in deep anxiety.

"Go away," the child ordered. He was feeling rather feverish and dizzy. It wasn't a good sight.

Suicide he might be. Alibaba knew that he couldn't leave the child like that. Aladdin was the one who made him so determined. When he was still a coward, the child helped him. He didn't care what would happen if he tried to charge. Maybe he would get hurt or worse killed but he couldn't leave him. He couldn't leave Aladdin. He might not know anything about Aladdin but it was partly his fault the child became like this; totally neglecting the others.

His Rukh flared with his burning determination. Alibaba had this very strange and overpowering feeling in himself. It was like there was nothing more to fear. He sauntered towards the child, ignoring the dragging force of the dark Rukh. He wanted nothing but to help the child.

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'No, don't come any closer!' Aladdin mentally yelled as the blonde marched towards him, disregarding the fact that his arms would be torn off if he continued like this. In haste, Aladdin tried to muster up more of his strength from his already emptied source. He attempted to push himself up but only succeeded in falling down again. Every movement even lying down brought great pain to him.

"Just go away! I don't need your help!" His voice cracked. His vision was blurry but he could still make up the flashy blonde that was approaching him.

"Why? I don't want this. If it weren't for this cruel fate, then we will be able to live like before. We will be able to live freely," Aladdin began his rants. He was tired; tired of these recent occurrences. Since when had they been unable to live the way they liked?

His only wish was to go back to the time when he and Judal was happily living the lives they deserved; peacefully and contented. The time when they didn't have to be burdened by obligations, tied by chains of fate. They were free.

He set his head into his hands. The more he thought about it, the more hate he felt. He hated this so called fate. What gave it the right to alter their lives? They could have been so much happier.

Aladdin's eyes tried to focus on the blonde who was already within arm length from him. He seemed shocked and hesitant in his steps when he heard that. Aladdin smirked. He didn't know how long he would last and he didn't care as well. In fact, it would have been better if he vanished, then Judal wouldn't have to sacrifice so much for him and maybe he could find a better life to live in.

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Alibaba's blood ran cold when he heard the child's declaration. What had made a young child like his age to say something like this? It was heart-breaking. He might not be the best person for this sort of things but he had no intention to let the child be. He wanted to help him and he wanted to understand him as well.

What he didn't expect was when his hands were trying to reach for Aladdin, they connected to a wall; a barrier to be precise.

"Damn it! Aladdin! Let me in! Let me help you!" He called out as he banged on the barrier. It was a weak one and Alibaba knew it. The child was at his limit.

"Alibaba! You have to stop him from using any more magic!" came the shout from Sinbad. Nodding, he knocked on the barrier and shouted, "Aladdin! Stop this! You're only hurting yourself more!"

Alibaba's worry rose when the child slumped over and coughed out blood. The sight alarmed Alibaba of how many times he had left. What worried him most were the fading light and the growing darkness as well as the changing hue of the child's eyes as they altered to the crimson.

"Never mind…it will be better…if I just…die," Aladdin whispered. The metallic taste in his mouth gave him an approximate amount of time he had until he could finally rest.

Alibaba froze. He didn't know why but his mind was zooming out. He remembered the depressing times he had when he first fled. He had felt so useless that he could just die. But now, to think that he would find such similarity in Aladdin, all he could feel was anger; so much of it swelling in his chest.

"That's enough!" Alibaba yelled. "Stop this! You're strong, aren't you? Stop blaming on fate and keep moving forward already. Bad things happen all the times, right? Nobody is meant for success right at the beginning. You're more than this, aren't you?"

His fist balled and he stared down at the child who was trying to deny anything he heard. The child seemed so vulnerable now and almost lonely.

"You're not alone, Aladdin," Alibaba whispered. "You're not alone," he repeated.

Those words worked like magic. Aladdin perked up at that and his eyes widened. His concentration wavered for a moment and that was all Alibaba needed. Alibaba's knife was brought out from his sheath and struck hard onto the barrier. The barrier broke apart and for a split second there Aladdin thought he saw a light; an unmistakably warm light that he hadn't felt for so long.

Alibaba grabbed that moment and pounced onto the child and pressed him still for fear that he might do something that would endanger himself.

"Let go of me!" Aladdin tried to protest. His back pressed against the cold ground and his head still hurt when he hit the ground with a 'thud'. His struggles were weak compared to the blonde and he knew that whatever he did now wouldn't do much to help him.

"No!" Alibaba shouted. His eyes met with the child's scarlet ones. "I'll never let go of you until you realise that you're never alone. Even if fate had been cruel, there is still someone, I'm sure that there is someone out there for you. You can feel it too, right? You have someone to care about you no matter what."

Aladdin never knew Alibaba was a counsellor. His words allowed Aladdin's mind to wander. An image of the dark haired magi came to him and he could feel his own eyes tearing up at the thought of the kindness he had shown; those times they had spent in life; those moments that could last forever but he couldn't give in now.

"Why…do you even care?" Aladdin asked tiredly. Human these days were much too interesting and confusing. Nothing they did really made sense. They must be quite hypocrite. "It doesn't matter if I die, right? I shouldn't have been a problem to you if I just disappear!"

Alibaba was taken aback. His eyes flared with anger.

Slap!

Aladdin could feel a burning sensation on his cheek. It hurt. Alibaba was panting slightly. His hand burned but he couldn't care less. He hauled the child up by his shirt. His teeth painfully gritted. Aladdin's eyes dimmed and were avoiding any possible contact.

"Look at me, Aladdin!" Alibaba commanded. When he received no response or any sort of eye moments, he slammed his free fist down to the ground beside Aladdin.

"Look at me, damn it!" Aladdin flinched slightly at the volume. Reluctantly, his red eyes moved to meet the elder's ones.

"Now listen! Stop being so damn selfish!" Alibaba lectured.

"What?"

"Your life doesn't only belong to you! What about your brother? How will he feel when he finds out that you're not there anymore? Stop thinking about ending yourself! That won't solve anything! Look around you! There are people who cared about you…Even me…I won't be able to say this today if it isn't because of you. Are you going to give up because of this?"

"Why?" Aladdin was running out of words to retort.

"What do you meant why? You're my friend, that's why!" Alibaba said without hesitation. Slowly, he detached himself from the child as the child had stopped struggling completely. No word could describe the relief he felt when he saw the light returning to Aladdin, though it was small and frail, it was definitely there.

"Friend? You…" The child trailed off.

"I maybe weak and pathetic and even a coward but that's just how I'm. Your words fuelled me with the drive I needed to face everything because I knew that you had acknowledged me back then even though you may push me away now, I won't cease to try."

When had Alibaba become so bright like a light? He didn't know better when he felt the weight on his chest lifted and the chains he held in his heart broke apart.

"You are…reckless…stupid…idiotic fool," Aladdin muttered. His hand reached out to touch his own forehead and for once, he let a small curve to his lips. He pushed himself up from the ground and laid his head cautiously onto the blonde's shoulder. "But…why did I?"

Burying his head into the crook of Alibaba's neck, Aladdin didn't even bother to finish his sentence for he knew even without word, Alibaba understood. Alibaba reached out and patted the child on the head tenderly like how Judal always did. The thought of the other sent a bitter feeling to him and his eyes burned with tear begging to be released.

Rubbing Aladdin's back in circles as a form of comfort, he could tell that the child was holding back. "It's okay. It's okay to cry," Alibaba told the child.

Aladdin shifted and finally he let the transparent liquid fall. He sniffed and his small arms moved to circle around the blonde's waist as he melted further into the embrace. His sniffs soon turned into broken sobs before he broke down completely.

Years of emotion and feeling that he had held within him felt like a running stream, unstoppable and overwhelming. He was crying so pitifully and he was well aware of it. How long had it been since the last time he cried this much? The dark Rukh that was holding the others down broke away. They twirled around the child, hoping to offer some sort of comfort as the white one joined in. It was a magnificent sight to say the least where both Rukh stayed so harmoniously by the child's side.

Sinbad and his generals merely looked at the scene. For the very first time, they had a feeling that no matter how strong Aladdin was, he was still in fact a child.

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Judal opened his eyes. The excruciating pain was long gone, leaving his body numb. He could hear the sound of running water but his eyes perceived nothing more than darkness. He stretched his fingers before him but the appendages were swallowed up by the darkness. He pushed himself up, silently grateful for the absence of pain lacing through his body.

Judal didn't really get it. His body felt strange and he could barely feel the cold ground. Everything was uncomfortably still except for the constant dripping and flowing of liquid from somewhere beyond the darkness. His steps sent ripples to the surface which strangely stayed as solid as any ground would be beneath his feet.

Maybe he died or maybe not. He preferred the latter though. The mere thought of dying like this made his stomach churn in a way that he disliked. He stayed still for a while, taking in everything that he managed to glimpse on but he soon gave up as there was nothing, not that he could take note of in this darkness.

A slight young breeze came and he tried to look. He could clearly feel it against his skin. If he could find the source of this sudden wind, then maybe he would be able to get out of here. Bearing that thought in his mind, he pulled himself together and focused on locating the source. It felt like it was coming from above.

Judal glanced up. His eyes widened when he saw a trace of light on far above.

"What's that?" He asked to no one in particular. The light continued to shine before it moved closer and closer. When it finally reached within arm length, Judal managed to make out its form. It actually looked like a drop of glittering liquid that descended from who-knew-where. The shinning form paused before Judal as if waiting for him to take actions.

Hesitantly, Judal reached out to the still form. What he expected was a touch of coldness but no, it was actually warm, comfortably warm. Detecting his touch, the crystal-like drop shone even brighter before a familiar flow of Rukh pulsed from it.

Judal gasped and retracted his hands away from the object. The bright light blinded him for a moment and he almost failed to recognise the homely feeling coming from it. The Rukh pulsed once more, creating a huge contrast against the dark background.

"Aladdin?" Judal called out. He could feel it; the Rukh of the young child. His guess was confirmed when he saw vaguely a figure of the child before him. It was only a silhouette but Judal was sure that it was him. Judal always knew.

"_I've finally found my way."_ A voice echoed through the space. Judal stared in confusion when the silhouette held out his hand towards Judal.

"_Let's go. To a place where we can learn the truth." _That was what the figure said. Judal knew that it was Aladdin. What he didn't know for sure was the true meaning behind those words. Nevertheless, Judal trusted Aladdin. Aladdin always had this special talent to know something prior their happenings. The elder was about to accept the invitation when suddenly hell broke loose. Everything which was still a moment ago grew violent.

Judal's hand never got to connect to the other's as he was mercilessly swept away by a dark wave. He struggled against the force of the waves. However, it was all futile. He could only watch as he was brought further and further away from the silhouette until the last of the light faded from his sight.

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"Alibaba, are you alright?" Mor asked the blonde who had managed to get the situation under control.

"Yeah…" Alibaba replied shakily. He had yet recovered from the shock and thrill he felt from all these occurring events. He shifted, as well as one could with a weight in his arms.

"Aladdin…" Mor trailed off. There was no need to finish the sentence for Alibaba knew what was in her mind and they stayed silent. The said child was now peacefully asleep in Alibaba's warmth. The steadying of breath was the only thing that convinced that the child was slowly recuperating and resting.

If you looked at the child now, I bet you wouldn't have thought of him as one who was capable of harming and killing. He just looked so…innocent now like any other children would. That thought made Alibaba paused.

'Like any other children, huh?' Alibaba thought. Aladdin must have gone through a lot, judging from the sheer amount of feelings he had kept bottled up and the price he must had paid to gain so much strength. That being said, Alibaba truly didn't know anything about the child. He wanted to help him, if only he could, then he would gladly teach him how to act and play like a child should.

It wasn't fair. Alibaba noted. Aladdin must be around ten, judging from his appearance. It just wasn't fair for a child to be bound by responsibilities and obligations. Alibaba recalled the time when Aladdin flashed him a smile, a true and sincere smile back when they were conquering Amon's dungeon together. That was probably the only time Aladdin showed him such an emotion via the smile that he worn, filled with warmth and a tinge of childishness.

Alibaba bit his own lips and frowned. Subconsciously, the hand that held the child tightened with the feeling in his chest. He didn't even notice the approaching figure of Sinbad until the king's hand landed on his shoulder.

The blonde jumped a tad before tilting his head backward to meet with the king's eyes.

"He should get some rest," Sinbad suggested. Alibaba nodded and struggled to get onto his feet with some help from Mor. For some reasons, he didn't want to release his hold on the child now for fear that if he let go, then the child would return to the darkness and never let any light touch him ever again.

Bearing that thought in his mind, he staggered forward, no matter the exhaustion that lingered in his every movement.

When they reached the room, Alibaba had set Aladdin down gently onto a bed. The child whimpered slightly at the sudden loss of warmth and proceeded to curl himself up into a ball as if trying to protect himself. Alibaba had to resist the urge to smile at the sight.

He glanced at the side to find Sinbad with a slight curve by his lips. He must have found the scene rather amusing to say the very least whereas by the king's side, Ja'far was sighing and shaking his head. Even so, there was an undeniable gentleness in the latter's eyes. Well, no one could stay angry with the child anyway, not after the event earlier.

"You can't rest properly like this, Aladdin," Alibaba said and tried to straighten the child but it only succeeded in making the child curl more. A pale hand reached out to help Alibaba and within seconds, they managed to put the child in a more comfortable position. Alibaba gave a look of appreciation to the owner of the pale hand who was none other than Ja'far in which the man replied with a smile of his own.

The smile didn't stay long as he turned to Sinbad. "What should we do now? I highly doubt that the Kou Empire would let us have their magi."

That statement gained Alibaba's and Mor's attentions. Both of them were equally curious and anxious of what might happen later but none of them wished for Aladdin to return. They had finally gotten together after all these.

"Well…to tell the truth, I don't know," Sinbad replied. His smile faltered into a frown. Ja'far twitched in disbelief but one should really get used to the king's nonchalant reply. Alibaba bowed his head low and crossed his fingers. The situation was not too good for them. It would, after all be bad if the Kou Empire attacked them again. However, there was nothing for them to do now. They couldn't just leave Aladdin, right?

"Anyway, we'll have to let Aladdin rest," Sinbad convinced. "Everything may become clearer once he wakes up."

Alibaba nodded and stood. Just as they were about to leave the room, Mor managed to pick up a soft whimper from the child. She turned. A gasp managed to escape her closed lips as she watched the child stir.

"Can't reach…" A whisper was all it took to freeze them in their steps and they did the logical. Their body reacted and their eyes found their ways to the child whose eyes were slowly opening and blinking away the blurriness.

"Can't reach…" He repeated. His eyes still dull as if his mind was resting in his subconscious. "There is too much darkness…"

His eyes flickered to life a moment later and his arms moved to connect to his forehead. It took him a moment to register the presence of the others in his mind. His weary eyes scanned over them. Finally, the blue orbs paused on Sinbad before they moved to stay on Alibaba.

"Mister Sinbad and Alibaba…there is something I need to tell you about…" The child began. Somehow, it was really hard to move. His body was feeling rather heavy, more than he had ever felt but he needed to inform them about this. He didn't know why he decided to do so but there was a hidden urge there besides it would be most probably the only time he could talk about this before it was too late.

"It's regarding…this country, Balbadd." The pair straightened subtly and their full attentions were thrown to the child who received them with a slight pause. "What the Kou Empire wants…no, what the organisation wants…is not just the control over economy and country."

Sinbad immediately tensed at the mention of 'organisation' but he tried to hold it to himself so instead he narrowed his eyes and waited patiently for the child to resume.

"What they truly desire is the…ultimate conquer of the heart," Aladdin said, panting slightly as he felt himself running out of breath. He hadn't recovered a bit. Hopefully he would be able to stand until he explained it all to the both of them. The pair had an utter confusion written all over their faces. Maybe he should put it into simple words or maybe elaborate.

"What do you mean, Aladdin?" The blonde asked from his side. He was not following a bit.

"To put it mildly…this country…will be devoured by darkness…" Aladdin really hoped that they managed to catch on now. The widening of eyes and the gasps that followed were the only signs that gave Aladdin hope.

"Just like back then…" Aladdin couldn't help but added. The recollections of his hometown that were painted red back then came to him. The sickening sight of blood and the sheer horror of the haunting screams were always there, accompanying the scene.

"Alibaba…if you wish to…save your country, hurry…before it is too late." His eyes were threatening to close. Exhaustion was sinking through every parts of his body.

"Why are you telling us this?" Sinbad inquired. No, he wasn't being ungrateful or anything. It was just that this was too sudden. The sudden change in the child intrigued him.

Glancing at the king, he struggled not to pass out yet. Sweats slid down his cheeks but he made no complaint.

"That's because…I don't want something like that to happen again…That incident that ruined everything…" Despite his weakened state, he still managed to hiss, voicing his anger. Aladdin knew what they wanted, he didn't need them to urge him to continue and so he did. "Six years ago…our hometown might have undergone the same thing."

"Might?" Alibaba voiced, a bit confused at the choice of words. The child gave a weak attempt of what resembled a shrug.

"I…don't remember it…well…My memories are always hazy…I can only vaguely recall the pieces of that event…Everything is set ablaze…People dying everywhere…and the horrible stench of blood and yells for help…It's the worst…"

No one could find the right words to say at the moment so they just stayed completely silent.

"That's why…you must save your own country…" Aladdin breathed out. His fingers curled around Alibaba's hand, squeezing it a tad.

"Why?" Alibaba croaked. "Why me…?"

Aladdin gave a weak smile. His reason left unknown to all as his eyes closed and he returned to his slumber.

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"If the Kou Empire is involved in this, we might not be able to stop it even with the support of our allied countries," Ja'far analysed while Sinbad poured himself a cup of wine.

"Yeah, and even if we prevent Balbadd from being a slave farm, that still won't solve the root problem," Sinbad stated, frowning when he recalled the mention of the organisation and darkness. If his suspicion was proven correct, then they might have harder time dealing with them. Argh, how stressful was this all. Even the wine that he usually liked left a bitter taste in his mouth. He bet Ja'far was dying to hear those words coming from his mouth; anything to at least stop his habit of drinking. He couldn't help it.

Balbadd needed to be established anew by someone who truly loved it. And that certain someone might be Alibaba or maybe not. Truth to be told, Sinbad didn't really know what to expect of him. He knew he had the desire to but his abilities and confidence said otherwise. Picking up the cup, he admitted that Aladdin's choice was…questionable.

"Sin, it's too early for you to be drinking like that!" Ja'far complained. Sinbad didn't care. He had been so bothered by these occurrences that he needed this but nevertheless he never got to drink it all in one gulp as a loud noise announced the arrival of Morgiana.

"I've seen to all the wounded for the time being," she reported, paying no heed to the floor she destroyed beneath her strong feet.

"I-I see. Thanks," Sinbad said, still a bit shaken by the entrance. "You should take a break."

"It's true that Alibaba may lack confidence at times, but he's the one who saved me from a life of slavery. So I believe that he'll be able to save this country. I'm sure Aladdin thinks so as well," she sternly stated with her eyes full of determination. "Excuse me."

After the door swung close, Sinbad rubbed the back of his head. With a soft voice, he muttered, "Maybe I was too hasty in my judgement…"

"It's because you're drunk, Sin." With that, the jug of wine was left untouched.

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"The upcoming wedding and signing ceremony will make Balbadd flourish more than ever before," the Banker announced. Seeing the king who was a bit hesitant, he smirked before he continued, "Don't worry, Your Highness. With the Kou Empire, you will bring Balbadd to new glory."

'Soon, it would be soon before Balbadd fell into the darkness. So very soon.'

* * *

**Yes! I'm finally done with my exams! Rejoice! #dancing victory dance#**

**I think it is Magi News Number 24 that voiced Hakuryuu's opinion on Alibaba that he could be both cheerful and gloomy (which made it hard to glimpse on the latter's personality...) Nonetheless, I hope you enjoy the chapter and I'll be back with another one...soon ^.^**

**Signed,**

_**ReneeNCC**_


	17. Chapter 17 : Determination & Separation

**Chapter 17 : Determination and Separation**

_When the sun is shining I can do anything; no mountain is too high, no trouble too difficult to overcome. _**~Wilma Rudolph**

"In recent years, the Kou Empire's influence has expanded drastically and they transformed from a small country to a militaristic powerhouse," Sinbad stated, eying the red mark on the map that showed the area and country under Kou Empire's influence.

"The power driving their transformation was unclear, well until yesterday," the king continued. His eyes darted to the two figures before him who visibly tensed. It seemed like they knew exactly what the king had figured out.

"Aladdin…" Alibaba gasped quietly. The heavy feeling returned whereas Sinbad nodded.

"With the power of two magi on their sides, it is not entirely impossible to gain strength within such short period of time," he explained. Morgiana's eyes grew sharp and serious.

"I'm sorry, but what exactly is a magi?" she asked. Alibaba glanced at her before claiming that he would also like to know the answer to that question. After all, it wasn't common to have someone to spell it out for you and he would like to get hold of every chance he could get in hope of learning more about the child.

"Magi are known as world-creating magicians. They can use magic to control Rukh." The explanation showered some light upon Alibaba. He remembered the time when they fought. Then, those particles of light that gathered must be Rukh.

"If that is so, then…does it make them both magi?"

"That's right," Sinbad nodded. His façade went serious and darkened. "It seems that the Kou Empire had gotten hold of much more power than we imagined."

Noting the confused look on Alibaba's face, Sinbad knew at once that he hadn't glimpse the complete idea of the whole situation and so he resumed, "Magi is best known for their ability to raise dungeons and guide people through them."

"Then you were also led through a dungeon by a Magi?" Alibaba asked.

"Nah, I conquered a dungeon that Judal raised on my own but he didn't seem to like that too much and we've had many confrontations since then." Okay, that explained why the dark haired magi knew Sinbad and the rivalry in the air when they met. Alibaba's mind began to wander as he pondered over the possibility of Aladdin doing something similar; raising dungeon and so.

"But I'm the exception. It is possible that they were made to lead all sorts of people into the dungeons and thus the Kou Empire developed into the extraordinary power it is today and they are aiming for Balbadd currently."

Alibaba had to force himself to focus on what Sinbad was trying to say. Mentally slapping himself a few times, he began to catch on to what the other was implying. It was indeed an undeniable truth that the Kou had been both directly and indirectly meddling in Balbadd's affairs for the past few years. How shameful it was for the King of Balbadd to fall under the Kou Empire's control but who could he blame? It was all because of Alibaba himself that the country came to such a state.

The biggest problem the country was facing now was the king that had somehow systematically brought the country to ruin. He had given up his rights. He had given up his lands and finally he was going to give up the people's rights. That was unmistakably the one problem that remained at the top list to be solved. However, Sinbad couldn't help this unsettle feeling in his chest, pricking in his mind that something more was going to happen. Maybe, it was something to do with the darkness Aladdin mentioned.

Recalling the child's words, Sinbad grimaced. To think that the Kou would go through such lengths in gaining power…no, maybe not the Kou but someone who was pulling the strings behind the empire… The mention of an organization was enough to alarm Sinbad. There must be more to just a simple plan of conquer, something much more serious.

And for that reason, he asked Alibaba to stay behind before the blonde left after Morgiana.

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It was true that Sinbad didn't expect much from Alibaba but he decided that he had been too careless in making such a judgement. Therefore, he talked to Alibaba about the late King of Balbadd, about the hope and beliefs the king had in Alibaba. Hopefully, that the actions would be able to open his eyes and made him see how important it was for him to be strong for his people and for Balbadd as well.

"I'm nothing like you," Alibaba retorted, denying the statement of them being alike. The blonde wasn't really used to been praised like this, especially when he knew that he was only borrowing Aladdin's power to clear the dungeon and the fact that he hadn't even manage to leave a scratch on Sinbad left a bitter taste in his mouth.

Alibaba knew that it must have all sounded like excuses to Sinbad but he couldn't afford to carry the people's wishes because he was incapable of doing so. He was weak. Even with a thousand of people praising him from being strong and courageous, Alibaba highly doubted that he would manage to change anything with that little power of his. His lack of confidence seemed to be annoying Sinbad too for the king pointed it out sharply.

Alibaba was taken aback even more when Sinbad announced that he would have to become Balbadd's king to save the country. He couldn't do it, right? Damn, why did others have to have such high hope in him? Couldn't they see the fact that he was nothing close to a king figure? It was impossible for him.

Sinbad even went as far as assuring him and guaranteeing his support. Heck, he even offered to teach him how to use a Djinn. Alibaba knew he couldn't ever become a king, especially one as awesome as the one before him.

"But, you are the Leader of the Fog Troupe, aren't you? As their leader, were you not prepared to, one day, lead this country down the right path?" Sinbad had hit his mark with that one.

Alibaba admitted that he had only become a leader because of the royal blood within him and that he was just following Kassim's plans.

"Alibaba, do you believe that people are born to this world to fulfil certain destinies?" When that didn't manage to get a reply form the blonde, Sinbad frowned. "Morgiana believes that you will be able to save this country and she's not the only one. As you must have already known, Aladdin also put his faith in you and those people who gathered outside the palace that day, Sahbmad and the Fog Troupe…they all trusted you."

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Aladdin was almost used to it now. Staring up at the expensive wooden door, he didn't spare a glance to the luxurious prison that he had found himself in again, within the many dreams he had. He continued to stare hard at the door as if it would finally open for him if his stare was hard enough. Besides, there wasn't anything to do now in here with the darkness as the only companion.

He couldn't shake the feeling of fear and loneliness as the door before him stood so firmly as if mocking and reminding him of his locked fate but for this once, Aladdin wanted to try.

His small hands gripped onto the door knob. His heart throbbed painfully against his chest. The darkness seemed to stretch alongside with the silence. He pulled at the knob, expecting to find it stuck like it should. To his surprise, the heavy wooden door clicked and for the first time, it swung open swiftly.

A light breeze greeted him. The light that penetrated the dark room was blinding but not uncomfortable. Instead, it was warm and welcoming. Aladdin's hands reached out while his legs parted hesitantly towards the light. With each steps, his heart began to grow calmer.

Finally, as he emerged from the dark space he once was, he squirmed, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the intensity of the light. As soon as his vision cleared, Aladdin gasped. In front of him was a breath-taking vast field of green that reminded him of the Kouga clan. The sky was as clear as it was when he travelled to Qishan and the gentle, cool breeze that resembled the one that he felt in Balbadd. It was overall so indescribably beautiful and calm that he took his time to wonder where he was.

To think that there was something this magnificent beyond the door that kept him and to think that he was foolish enough to not try and push open that door earlier, maybe it was all in his head. He was the one that had kept himself locked for so long. And now, he was here, enjoying the taste of the sweet freedom. Maybe, it really was all in his head.

"_Yes, it seems that you can finally free yourself from the deepest recess of your mind." _

A voice came roaring from every corner. Aladdin searched, scanning frantically past the field and the sky, trying to locate the voice. None, he could see no one.

"Who are you?" Aladdin inquired. He recognised the voice from before; in the many dreams he had and from when they clashed. He needed to know who this mysterious being was, what he knew about him.

For a few moments, there was only silent. The breeze continued to comb through the field, calming the fretful child.

"_I'm no one of importance. However, if you insist, you can call me Ugo. That is the name my master entrusted me." _The voice replied calmly and gently. It held no malice, just genuine concern.

"Ugo…" Aladdin repeated. Somehow, he felt that he had heard that name before. Where? He couldn't recall. But it was a sign that probably, he knew him from somewhere. Aladdin sat himself down onto the carpet of grass, watching the ever-changing clouds in the blue sky. If what the voice said was true, then he must be somewhere inside of his own mind. So, why not rest a bit? Taking the time to catch a breath that he hadn't had because of all the occurrences, he knew that eventually, he would have to take his step as well towards the truth that Amon spoke of to uncover what was hidden over so many years.

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Alibaba kept his head low the whole time he walked through the street, revising the words of Sinbad in his mind. No matter how he looked at it, he wasn't the one capable of such great position as the king. It was the greatest joke of all times. What should he do exactly?

He looked into the reflection in the river as he paused on the bridge. The sound of a crying infant caught his attention. He spotted a kind lady trying to feed her child with the other tugging on her shirt. That scene made Alibaba nostalgic. He could clearly remember the times he and Kassim lived together with his mom and everything was blissful back then.

"_He's going to turn the people into slaves!"_ The panicked voice made itself known to Alibaba. The blonde immediately widened his eyes in realisation. Then, that would definitely lead to the fate that every one of them would become slaves, chained in shackles and deprived of freedom.

He stepped back shakily, only to collide with a small boy who excitedly pointed at him and yelled in realisation. Many soon followed. Before he knew it, he was surrounded by the people. Overwhelmed by the pressure and questions of the people, he found himself choking and gaping.

All of the sudden, Alibaba felt a harsh tug by his wrist and with a whoosh, he was pulled away from the suffocating crowd. He flew with a great arc and landed right in the midst of sacks with a 'thud', much to his surprise as he expected to drop straight into the icy water below.

"The people are at their limit. It's dangerous to be out by yourself."

Alibaba jerked. He recognised the voice. Kassim! He turned fast, showing how anxious he had been all the while when he his himself. The said person was now smirking confidently, looking at Alibaba with eyes full of meaning which led Alibaba to think that something big was being planned.

"Where have you been? It's a mess out there!" Alibaba couldn't help but lectured. His anger was further fuelled when Kassim stated that he knew all along the horrible things that had happened, including the incident in which they were under attack.

"I couldn't stand being with that Sinbad!" That was the excuse or should I say reason he gave. The male continued to voice his displease about the king on how he looked down at them and made a fool out of them. He would not forgive him for that.

"But truthfully, there's not much we can do with just our power," Alibaba said. As much as he hated to admit it, the fact still stood firmly.

"That's not true. Listen up, Alibaba. It's not just us. There are plenty of people who want to rebuild this country. All the citizens, to be exact."

Somehow, Alibaba was getting this very unsettled feeling as the other narrowed his eyes before he continued, "They're fed up with the situation and now the king wants to make them all slaves?"

"Where did yo-" Alibaba questioned but his question got cut in by Kassim who resumed his speech.

"If we tell the people of Ahbmad's plan and provide them with weapons, what do you think will happen?" That was a question that halted Alibaba's breath. War. And when there was war, there would always be sacrifices. People would suffer and lost their home…just like…Aladdin.

Alibaba dared not to think further. War would only bring more darkness to the world. That was why Alibaba shook in anger when Kassim declared that they would incite the masses and topple the monarchy.

"Are you serious, Kassim?" He yelled. His eyes were wide in fear of what might happen.

The man sat back calmly. "Yeah, I can even get us weapons."

Alibaba felt his chest tighten involuntarily when Kassim gestured backwards. The blonde glanced at the general direction. He almost couldn't believe what he had seen.

"I didn't introduce you, didn't I? He's helped out the Fog Troupe before. He's the one who lent us the magical weapons. He's also the one who told us about the king's slave plan." Kassim's voice had long faded away in Alibaba's ears as he stared, too shocked to even move at the figure before him. With the mask on, he couldn't tell what was hidden under the mask but there was something…unnatural about this guy; almost sinister.

The person advanced to finally stop before Alibaba. He gave a respectful kneel. "It is a pleasure, Your Highness Alibaba. I am a simple Arms Dealer. I cannot do much, but I have been helping Master Kassim as much as I can."

As he humbly announced, Alibaba felt himself unable to pay attention to what he was saying. What gained his attention the most was the tinge of sense that leaked from the man. Dangerous and definitely not pleasant…at all.

Alibaba couldn't help worrying when they talked about the preparation of rebellion. He tried to persuade him to back out of this ridiculous and irrational plan of his. However, no word of his could convince the guy as he continued to dwell on the fact that their numbers were greater that Kou Empire. Even when he knew that it would be an all-out war, he refused to listen. He was so determined to a point that no matter how, even if many people had to die, he would win.

"The plan will be carried out the night after tomorrow. You'll join me, won't you, Alibaba?" Kassim asked, listing out all the failure they had faced until now as evidences that they no longer had other choices but to fight.

Alibaba clenched his teeth hard as he thought over what Kassim had just mentioned while the mysterious weapon dealer stayed quietly behind him with his eyes sharp on Alibaba. He continued to stare; waiting for the prince to give in and with that, the plan would be prefect.

"I think you're wrong," Alibaba commenced.

"What?"

"I think we should try something else."

"Like what?" Kassim asked impatiently. What other choice did they have now? There was barely enough time to plan for something grand. To fight was their only option. The more Kassim revised this, the more he hated to face Alibaba and talk nonsenses.

"I don't know," Alibaba stated. Waving swiftly to the side, Kassim made a motion similar to a shrug. He knew it. There was nothing Alibaba could do now.

"I don't know but I will definitely come up with something! And I'll save this country without letting a single person die!" Alibaba announced with the confidence he didn't know he possessed. To Kassim though, it sounded like a childish blabbering and useless excuses.

His eye twitched in annoyance. Alibaba didn't know a thing. It was useless to try and ask him to join because they were just this much different. He loathed him to be able to stay optimistic at a time like this. His palm was balled into fist. A punch across the face was all it took to make the fact that they would be enemies from now on clear.

He, Kassim would tell him, about how he hated being with Alibaba, how weak he was despite being a royalty and how he didn't need him anymore. He let the blonde leave with one last warning that if he intended to interfere, then they would be enemies the next time they met.

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Sinbad stared up at the lonely moon that night, thinking about the blonde prince. When Ja'far approached him to ask him about the progress, he could only frown and said that the blonde, sadly didn't give him the answer he wanted to hear. He stared down at his glass of wine before returning his glance to the moon, hoping that he could find some answers to these endless problems.

The silence that stretched between them was short as in the next second, Alibaba announced his arrival with a heavy swing on the door.

"Mister Sinbad," Alibaba called while making his way to the king. His head bowed low but his steps were steady and firm. The next statement made Sinbad freeze. Almost immediately, he thought that he had heard wrong. Alibaba, the same Alibaba that had denied nearly everything Sinbad said that day was asking him to teach him the way to use a Djinn properly.

"I need the power to protect this country!" Alibaba reasoned. Sinbad's initial shock gave way to amusement and he wondered what had caused him to make such a sudden change in mind.

"I'm pretty clueless about destiny or becoming king, I just believe I should do whatever I can to help this country! But right now, I don't have that power. That's why, please help me be stronger!" 'So that I can stop Kassim.' That thought was hold back before the words came spewing out of his mouth unbidden. Despite of what happened, Kassim was still his friend and he didn't want to hurt his friend again like how he did to Aladdin. He wanted to resolve this somehow…by himself.

"All right," Sinbad said with a satisfied grin on his face.

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Alibaba had it rough. Trying to master a Djinn was harder than he thought.

"If we gather our Djinn's power and assimilate it into ourselves, we can summon a power close to that of a materialised Djinn. In other words, Djinn Equip." Sinbad had explained earlier but had sceptically stated that it was impossible to achieve it in a short period of time like this.

To cover his whole body with Djinn Equip, Alibaba wondered how he would be if he managed to do that. Nevertheless, he needed to focus on getting the Djinn Weapon Equip right. He summoned his flame once again, using every ounce of his strength to bring them in.

The bright flame caught Mor's eyes as she was walking past the corridor with a pile of sheet. She turned and smiled. So, finally he had moved forward.

Ja'far who stood by the side smiled, nodding at the blonde's dedication to grow stronger. Without a word, he excused himself, knowing that they would do just fine.

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Wiping away the stench of lingering sweats, Sinbad commented on Alibaba who had been a promising student even if he didn't know what had driven him to do so. Ja'far stepped in next, making small comments while walking towards the king.

Setting down the jug and glass on the table, Ja'far leaned towards Sinbad. "I just received communication from Yamuraiha. She's certain that their shadow is headed in the direction of Balbadd."

"Figured," Sinbad whispered back. His eyes narrowed, showing just how serious the matter was.

"I'm going to go speak with that princess from Kou. I'm guessing she's Ahbmad's fiancée," Sinbad declared. Even though Ja'far had some doubt on how exactly could Sinbad gain an audience with her, it all became clear as he recalled their meeting days before.

"Lady Killer of the Seven Seas…" Masrur couldn't help but said at the back while Ja'far gave an audible sigh.

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The blue sky was a pleasant blue when Aladdin opened his eyes. He was still there in the space only he knew. He stretched his back, feeling more replenished than he had ever been. Another light breeze blew past. A part of him wanted to stay there for a while, but he knew that everything would have to move forward. He had to know everything that had been kept away from him so that all the mysteries could be solved.

"_Are you ready?" _

Aladdin nodded, knowing that the other would know. The blue haired child stood, brushing himself off the invisible dusts. It was time to go, huh? He glanced at the surrounding that he knew he would miss.

"_Before that, I think there is someone you need to meet."_

Now, that made Aladdin curious. Who?

"Aladdin…" A smooth voice greeted him and Aladdin instantly knew whose voice it belonged to.

"Alibaba!" He called in recognition. The voice was unmistakably the blonde's but he couldn't see him anywhere. It was then the clouds gave way a bit to let a partial of light to shower upon him. Aladdin stared up into the light and to his surprise; he could see the image of the distressed blonde. It was like a window for him to see.

"Say, Aladdin…I'm sorry…about days ago," Alibaba stated. His head hung low, trying to pick the right words in his mind. Heck, he was so nervous even when Aladdin was unconscious so how did he expect to apologise properly. Alibaba shook his head to clear his mind and hopefully his nervousness.

"I…I had been too rushed and focused in things that I'd caused you much pain…" Scratching the back of his head, Alibaba stuttered, looking down at his closed fingers before him. All the while, Aladdin merely stared from his seat in his mind, waiting for the blonde to continue.

"So…I'm really sorry about what I'd done…" Alibaba whispered. His voice grew weaker with each passing seconds. Meanwhile, Aladdin felt a strange feeling in his heart. What was it though? It felt almost like relief with a tinge of happiness. Well, maybe he had forgiven him for a while now but to hear him say those words personally to him, Aladdin was sure that he had in fact forgiven him for there must really be some reasons behind his actions.

Aladdin listened while Alibaba rattled on the reason he had to join the thieves and even his stories before they met. All this time, the child listened with a smile on his face.

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Alibaba wasn't sure what he was doing. He had felt so heavy before and now he was talking to the sleeping form of Aladdin. For some unknown reasons, when he told Aladdin about all that had happened, he felt strangely calm. It was as if everything would be okay.

"Aladdin, am I really someone who can save this country?" Alibaba just had to ask. "There are so many people out there who are stronger than me. Take Sinbad as an example. So, why did you choose me?"

He felt like an idiot; an idiot who was talking to a sleeping child even when he knew that he wouldn't get any answers from the child. Maybe it was because of his self-consciousness that he failed to notice the slight stir of the child.

"Do you doubt me?"

Alibaba nearly shrieked. His shock was clearly written all over his face and he struggled to sit still in his chair. His blonde eyes locked with the blue ones and he squeaked, "A-Aladdin?"

The child stayed quiet, pulling himself up. With slight winces, he took notice of how sore his back had been for not moving for so long. Well, at least he didn't feel as bad as he did before. He exercised his muscles which were stiffer than he imagined all the while glancing at the blonde.

Finally he couldn't resist a laugh at Alibaba's face. It looked like he had choked on something. The said person blushed in embarrassment when he discovered the fact that he was the subject of laughter.

"Just stop laughing!" He yelled at the still giggling child. His face was burning red but he couldn't help relaxed a bit.

"So…?" Aladdin asked when he finally got over his laughing fits. With a finger reached out to Alibaba's face, he playfully poked his forehead before tracing down to try and smoothen the frown on the other's face. "What's with the silly face?"

Alibaba stared before remembering what he had been rehearsing all these times. His mouth flew open and the first word that came out of it was a weak call. "I…"

Aladdin smiled and rolled his eyes in feigned annoyance. Then, he slammed a hand over Alibaba's mouth, sparing the blonde from the need to explain once again.

"You know I heard everything, right?" He questioned.

The blonde eyes that went wide and the cheeks that began to colour once again was all Aladdin needed to know that Alibaba never expected that he would hear everything. The child removed his hand as he felt the heat radiating from the elder's skin.

Aladdin would love to tease him now but teasing wasn't his top priority no matter how immensely amusing was that. He knew the blonde needed answer to act as guidance for him.

"Why…"

"Huh?" The soft question was hardly audible but Aladdin managed to catch it.

"I'm weak and useless and yet you still choose me…why?"

"It may be true that you can be indecisive and weak-spirited sometimes but the courage you displayed when you tried to save Mor in the desert and the time when you faced all those dangers in the dungeon, were not fake. I guess you can say that I choose you because you're Alibaba, not because you're strong or something," Aladdin replied, watching the ceiling as if he was seeing the beautiful sky in his mind.

Alibaba didn't know what to say. His heart fluttered and he felt so light and powerful at the same time with all those encouragements he got from Aladdin. That made him even surer in his decision than before. It was like if he tried, then there would certainly be a difference.

"If you think that what you want to do is the right thing to do, then go ahead." It was almost like Aladdin knew exactly what he was thinking. "I'm sure Mor thinks so too, right Mor?"

His voice rang through the room. Alibaba's eyes darted to the door where a gasp could be heard. In the next moment, the girl showed herself from behind the door. The female stood, still a bit taken aback by the fact that she was found out but never once did her glance wavered.

"Y-yes, if it's Alibaba then, I'm sure you can do it," she agreed. Alibaba didn't need to be reassured the third time. He stared up back towards Aladdin who had kept his eyes to the scenery outside.

"Ah, it's morning," was all the child said before the morning light penetrated the room whereas the pigeons flew, leaving behind the white feathers. Alibaba's eyes steeled at the sight of the warm light. It was almost a symbolism of hope.

"Thank you."

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Aladdin continued to stare out to the blue sky as the Sun rose into the air. He really hoped that whatever Alibaba was trying to do now end up successful or else this country along with this beautiful scenery might be replaced with something dreadful. Mor had left soon after Alibaba and Aladdin guessed that it was to report to the others about his awakening.

Slowly, he closed his eyes and recalled the conversation they shared a moment ago before Alibaba decided to excuse himself. He had such determined look in those eyes. Aladdin could have helped if he could but not now, he told himself for there was still something left unlearnt. Something regarding the past which would no doubt affect the present.

"I'm ready," Aladdin mentioned. It would look like he was talking to no one but the child knew better. He knew that if he wished hard enough, his voice would definitely reach that person.

"_Then, we shall begin," _echoed Ugo.

"What should I do?" Aladdin asked, inhaling deeply.

"_Accept what you will see for it's the truth."_

A heartbeat and it began. The child grunted slightly at the pain in his head. Not long after, it escalated into something more than a mere headache. Black dots rounded his vision and he could feel himself slipping away.

Before he lost grip of the living world though, he sensed a familiar pulse of energy that forced him to stay alert. It was bad. Out of all times why now? Aladdin mentally cursed.

Never mind the pain pricking behind his skull, there was something more severe than that. The familiar flow of energy could only belong to them, the black organization that had had their trusts. But things were different now. With them and their ways of hiding away something important, he highly doubted the possibility of him ever learnt to trust them again.

That was probably why he feared that if someone of that organization came, he would be at their mercies again.

"**My, it seems that you are in a great pain."**

Aladdin froze.

* * *

**And...done! Phew, hope you guys enjoy this~**

**Here's a question, which you prefer : manga or anime?**

**Maybe it's a harmless question or maybe not. It depends~**

**Signed,**

_**ReneeNCC**_


	18. Chapter 18 : Revolution

**Chapter 18 : Revolution**

_Change your life today. Don't gamble on the future, act now, without delay. _**~Simone de Beauvoir**

Alibaba went past the crowd that had gathered before the palace, all demanding changes to the country, pleading for salvation. He ignored the silence that soon followed when some of the people noticed him as he broke through the defence of the soldiers.

Gasps of surprise greeted him. Barks of soldiers alarmed him. He stood firm and still before the gate. Sharp spears pointed at him threateningly but none of those could stop him now. He needed to move forward. His hand went up to the cloth he secured around his face. With a swift pull, it unwrapped, revealing his face to the guards and people.

"I am the third prince of Balbadd, Alibaba Saluja!" He declared. The people's initial shock turned into a flash of hope as their prince came to save them. "I am here to speak with Ahbmad. I order you to open this gate!"

As expected, the guards refused to allow the leader of the Fog Troupe into the castle but their decision had brought upon a rain of flying stones from the people. They helplessly defended themselves as the stones increased in sizes and strength.

Taking the situation as a sign, Alibaba stopped the people from harming the guards. At the same time, demanding the guards to open the gate or else the masses would not be stopped. After double checking that the blonde would be the only one entering, they complied.

The double gate pulled open slowly. With one last look back at the people, Alibaba pulled out his knife. The seal shone as if it was alive and the flame danced, engulfing the prince in its wild dance. People stared shock at the scene. The promise Alibaba made to change the country continued to resound in their eyes even when he had gone into the palace ground.

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There was only one word that could describe what Kougyoku was feeling right now. Bored. She had made sure that Judal was properly healed and now she was bored to hell. What with this setting anyway? Why did she have to be married off to some country to an unknown king? Ah, what kind of person was the king? She dreamed about it often, wondering if the king would be someone just like that man…wait, she shouldn't be thinking about something like that. Smacking herself out of her fantasy, she sighed.

She had finally conquered a dungeon and became a warrior, much stronger than just a mere princess yet here she was; been married off to the king of Balbadd. She wanted so much more than just that. If only once, she wanted to experience love, true love that was.

It was a custom not to see her betroths face until the ceremony…so she could only hope that he would be wonderful. Maybe she would even ask Aladdin to sneak a peek for her since she knew that Ka Koubun would downrightly refuse her request. However, with all that were going on, the child might be preoccupied with worries for his elder sibling so that option of hers might not actually work.

Kougyoku sighed yet again. Indeed, she could only hope.

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How amazing they were; the betrothal gifts, even the best men couldn't land a scratch on them. This was the only opinion that crossed Ahbmad's mind as he stared down at the trio. He purposely ignored the dead bodies of the soldiers that continued to be littered around the dent created during their 'spar'. It was gruesome sight to say the very least but he could care less. What important now was the fact that he could gain so many potential guards as his own personal elite guard!

Drowned in the thought and fantasy of the power and wealth he could gain, he still managed to pick up a sudden noise outside. His wonder about the noise was soon ended with the arrival of a guard who promptly announced the fact that someone had actually intruded the palace plaza.

Sahbmad, shocked by the declaration soon registered the possibility of the intruder being the very same person he was waiting for. He rushed to the balcony and glanced downwards. His motion was soon followed by the others.

Ahbmad scorned almost immediately as he realised just who exactly the intruder was.

"Ahbmad! I've come to settle things with you!" Alibaba yelled as he saw the round fatty figure above. "Get down here this instant!"

His brown eyes flared with more determination than ever. Ahbmad would never admit that he was taken aback by the intensity of mere determination behind those eyes. Instead, he gritted his teeth as he shook with anger.

"Banker, kill him!" He ordered.

"Oh my, are you sure? Is he not the prince of Balbadd?" That question from Banker fuelled his hatred. No way in hell would he acknowledge that piece of thrash as a fellow prince!

The Banker seemed to understand for he called, "Entai!"

A large form hurried to respond and leaped using the tall palace building as stepping stones. With last heavy thud, he landed right in front of Alibaba.

Receiving no choice but to fight, Alibaba steadied himself. He wouldn't turn back now.

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Aladdin turned. Every second that passed revealed more memories to him. He could see the burning town more clearly now and the cries of the people were there echoing in his ears. Everything was turning clearer.

He remembered. He finally got to remember; no more hiding away and invisible wall in front of him. He could finally see the truth behind everything that had occurred. What a fool he was. Really, what a fool he had been.

"Ithnan."

Aladdin met the dim eyes of the figure that emerged from wherever he had been with the dark tainted Rukh flapping next to him.

"I can take away all the pain for you," The man continued. Aladdin snickered darkly which in turn caused the man to raise an eyebrow. If by taking away the pain meant to be oblivious again, then Aladdin would rather bear the pain. After all, a little pain didn't matter; not when compared to not knowing anything.

"Take away the pain? Don't make me laugh. You intend to take away more than just pain, don't you?" Aladdin asked, frowning. No answer was gained from Ithnan who had suddenly grown silent. He watched cautiously.

"Say, what are you hiding?" Aladdin couldn't help but asked. The silence that followed was uncomfortable as the atmosphere around the figure changed darker.

"So, you remembered," he said. It was not a question but a statement. Aladdin straightened though the pain in his head prevented him from moving excessively. His eyes turned hostile as he glared at the one before him.

The next moment was happened too fast for Aladdin to counter as the dark Rukh moulded itself into a dark hand, reaching to grab him.

"Too bad for you…that won't change anything," he smirked.

Aladdin found himself gasping for air as he was knocked backwards. With the limited strength and endurance he had now, it was an undeniable fact that he was going to have a hard time getting out of this one.

He cursed softly under his breath. Was this the only thing he could manage now? Was he going to return to the time when he knew nothing; just being used by the damn organization again?

The door busted open. Aladdin could only see a flash of bright colour before the pressure on him was lifted. Aladdin breathed in the much needed air while coughing slightly. His eyes searched for his possible saviour.

"Are you okay, Aladdin?"

"Mor?" Aladdin gasped. Of all the people that he expected to come, Mor was never the first on his list. The female said nothing more as she prepared for another attack at the man who she managed to land a kick on.

Ithnan struggled to stand firm. His hand reached for the mask that cracked under the force of the kick. Groaning slightly, he tried to maintain the mask's initial position. Noticing the fact that nothing he did now would help the situation, instead, it would probably just make matter worse by drawing too much attention. So, he was gone back into the dark with his watchful eyes lingering on the frail form of Aladdin.

Aladdin sighed in relief; relieved that it was over for now. He could hear footsteps from the outside and he could only guess that the room was going to be quite crowd a while later. Glancing back at the female, he managed a small smile as a token of appreciation.

The fact that Ithnan had come personally to 'fetch' him alerted Aladdin. There must be something they were trying to keep away from him; something that would stand in the way of their plan, be it their plan for Balbadd or their future plans for the entire world. He frowned and looked out of the window towards the direction of the palace where he was sure Alibaba was headed.

"If things are as they seemed…it may prove to be a little difficult for Alibaba," he mumbled out his deduction, keeping his eyes locked at the distant palace. Seemingly, he had forgotten about the other occupant of the room. A loud slam was heard and he almost jumped out of his skin.

He snapped back, only to find Mor's bright eyes staring into his as if demanding something.

"Aladdin!"

"Yes?" The child replied in a hurry, shocked by the sudden call from the silent female.

"Is Alibaba…Has he gone off on his own again?" She asked, gripping onto Aladdin's shoulders tight albeit not too tight to actually hurt him.

"Ah…um…yes?" Aladdin answered hesitantly and the female loosened her grips on him and stood. Her expression darkened. To tell the truth, that made Aladdin slightly worried. "Mor?"

"Excuse me," she muttered and zoomed out of the room, nearly crashing into Sinbad as he entered. The king could only stare after the female as she went straight past him without a word or sparing any look. What in the world was happening now?

Aladdin sighed slightly, noting the arrival of the others before returned to glance outside.

"What's going on?" was the first question that greeted him but nonetheless, Aladdin gave no answer. His gaze was fixated to the scenery outside and almost calmly he breathed in the scent of air. He closed his eyes and tuned out the voices of the others as they repeated the question.

Finally, as if sensing his stillness, they calmed down and looked on. Aladdin breathed out silently. His sense stretched out, detecting the faintest change in the air and he snapped his eyes open. It wasn't good. The situation wasn't good. They were planning something and Aladdin needed to hurry.

His blue eyes went shut again and seconds later, he collapsed, earning quite a shock from Sinbad and the others. Thankfully though, they managed to catch him before he fell off the bed.

"What exactly is going on here?" Sinbad asked; a bit frustrated that he was left behind when something big was definitely happening. Ja'far shrugged, holding onto the child to prevent him from toppling over.

Whatever that was happening now, they couldn't leave it be. It was undoubtedly serious.

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Was this guy even a human? Alibaba lost count of how many times he got slammed into the wall, dragged along the floor. Even when he drew out Amon's flame, the monster would just extinguish it.

That was why he wanted to try it though he never managed to succeed during his training session but he didn't see any other way out of this now. He chanted Sinbad's words repeatedly in his mind, hoping to get the best result out of it but no, his flame went out of control again and they stubbornly stayed away, refusing to bend into his sword.

Then, he considered giving up the idea of using Djinn equip. However, the thought of the remaining opponents he had to face led him back to dwell on the idea. He summoned the flame again and again all the while dodging the incoming trunks.

He was losing hope fast. Amon wouldn't respond to him the way he wanted. Every attempt to equip failed. The constant failure made him all depressed and anxious. Another slam was all it took to knock him over and he couldn't find the strength and drive to stand again.

As the shadow of his opponent casted upon him, he began to question himself; his strength, his power, his uselessness… He remembered his kind mother who encouraged him not to cry, his father, the king who left the country to him, knowing that he would take care of it. He remembered his brother who had faith in him. He remembered Sinbad who thought of the same. Every cries and pleads of the people that had become his drive before was now leading him into a dilemma.

Was he really one capable of doing such great things? Saving the country? He could only see himself lying motionlessly on the path of trying. He would only fail each time he tried because he was just like how Kassim said he was useless and powerless. He had nothing…no resolve, no strength…nothing!

All he could see in front of him now was darkness; the dull grey colour his life had been. He was so very cold…until he thought that he saw a faint light somewhere…and there was familiar warmth on his balled fist.

"**How troublesome…it seems that I can't leave you alone even for a second, huh?" **

Was Alibaba hallucinating now? He was almost convinced that he was in fact beginning to imagine things. It felt so real though like Aladdin was really there, calling him. It was until he received a playful smack on his head that he jerked.

"**Come on, wake up! You aren't going to disappoint me because of this, are you? You are a brave person and I know it."** He could imagine the child pouting when he said this with his arms crossed in a reprimanding manner.

Alibaba came back to his sense just in time to plunge his sword into the enormous foot that threatened to squash him. The being cried and lifted his foot away from the blonde.

Alibaba took his sweet time, telling himself to focus as well as giving himself a good scolding. What if he didn't have any power? That sort of things got nothing to do with the things he wanted to do now. All he needed was the confidence that he needed and the bravery that Aladdin believed he had. No, not just Aladdin for he too believed that he could and definitely would.

After all, he had decided since then to move forward no matter what. Therefore, he steadied his stance while the monster hollered like a beast, definitely not pleased with Alibaba as he grew more and more hideous.

He was never good at thinking. Since concentrating his flame into the sword wouldn't do, then he would just have to burn his entire arms and his entire body too. He would set everything ablaze.

The sword felt different in his hand as he manoeuvred it through his opponent. He smiled in triumph at the new form his sword had taken. His heart thumped in excitement as he watched his blade, now jet black and streaming hot.

In contrast to the blonde, Ahbmad was furious. He was screaming like a maniac for someone, anyone to kill Alibaba.

Banker, with his ever calm voice, reassured the king, confident that the elite guards would be able to handle the pest well.

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Aladdin's eyes roved over the view of the lush green field of his mind. Something about the atmosphere was unnerving, not at all calming like last time. Only a few minutes passed when he realized what exactly was causing the agitating feel.

They were near. From every corner of the vast field, he could feel the approaching darkness. Wasting no time, he broke into a run, following the glowing thread that would eventually lead him to where he needed to be.

Above him, the cloud darkened and the wind picked up its speed, urging for the young one to hurry. Shadow was approaching fast. In his endless marathon, he finally spotted his destination. There was something that resembled a door amidst the field. Several steps were all it took. He had to hurry.

The darkness from behind gave a long shrill as they too realized that there wasn't much time left. Their tendrils reached out for the child who expertly dodged, causing them to crash into the field. Instantly, the green carpet grew brown and devoid of life.

Aladdin gulped fearfully. His heart throbbed painfully, knocking against his chest. However, he was close enough. He stepped away from the darkness as his back collided with the door of light.

He gave a spiteful grin and in the next second, the door was thrown open. Falling into the embrace of the light, he stuck out a tongue playfully whereas the darkness clawed against the door, fighting helplessly against the light. Hah, he won this time.

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Monkeys, there were monkeys everywhere and they were annoyingly fast and undying. Sure, they got burnt away with the help of his flame but he couldn't keep this up forever. Worse, the head monkey had decided to join in the party.

He spotted at the corner of his eyes a small white light sparkling. He focused his sight onto it, only to find it as a form of Rukh. It was fluttering near the gate, circling a few times. Alibaba didn't know why but strangely he understood the message of it. It was pleading him to move on for his real objective didn't lie here.

How could he go past them? There were too many of them. As he continued to duck the attack, he thought of the possibility of that single white Rukh being Aladdin. It might be the reason he heard things back then.

Anyhow, he had to make it through. Well, he would just have to make it through before he ran out of magoi. He was just about to do that when a familiar figure smashed her legs into the head monkey, cutting off its cry of war.

"How could you go off on your own?" the female asked and Alibaba found himself speechless in sight of the Fanalis.

"Why are you here?" He asked.

"I want to help you," Morgiana replied as a-matter-of-factly. She frowned when Alibaba continued to stay keen on the idea that this was something that he had to do alone.

"I understand but those things don't include dealing with a bunch of monkeys, does it?"

Well, hated to admit it but she was right. Alibaba spared a look at Ahbmad and he knew what he had to do.

"I will deal with this," she declared. Alibaba was a bit apprehensive on the choice to leave her be but she won his support when she sent a wave of deafening sound combing through the monkeys.

The next moment was quite an embarrassing one as he was sent with a perfect arc through the air and across the gate.

"Go! Hurry!" Morgiana's shout faded into the background and shooed him up his feet. He took the advice and went into the palace with a flicker of light trailing behind him.

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Morgiana turned to face her opponents. Her eyes narrowed as she warmed her body up. She wouldn't allow a single one pass. It was the least she could do.

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To summarise things up, Alibaba had gone to the palace without others knowing. Things could be worse. Sinbad tried to convince himself. Anyways, it wasn't possible to solve things politically now.

Nonetheless, he had to go to the palace.

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Alibaba rushed through the hallway of the palace. He had left so many memories here. With each turns of the hallway, he could remember the entire time he spent in the palace. His steps slowed down a bit as memories slowly flooded his mind. His glance was down casted. His steps threatened to stop but that action was halted by a force pushing the back of his head.

He turned and saw the white bird-like creature behind him, glowing like a luminescent lamp.

"Aladdin? Is that you?" He inquired. The Rukh bounced up and down before knocking itself against Alibaba's forehead. The blonde hissed in pain before sighing in defeat. "I know…I know…it's not the time to be confused."

With that, he continued forward but soon, he realised something before he skidded to a stop. He turned and blurted out, "Did you call Morgiana here?"

What? He was curious. The Rukh made a comical fall as if to emphasise the fact that it didn't see this coming. I meant, of all things he could say, he had to ask about that? The only reply it gave was series of head smacking.

"Hey, stop! Okay, okay! No more asking before this is over!" Alibaba shouted, flailing his arms to shoo away the Rukh and to prevent it from abusing his forehead any longer. He then moved on and continued his way to the top. His heart leaped lightly as he felt more relaxed now that he had had a conversation…well sort of an one sided conversation with Aladdin.

Feeling the need to, he shouted, "I'll be fine here on! Trust me!"

Unknown to him, the Rukh gave off another blinding light. Aladdin's form was revealed though vaguely. He gave a small smile after the retreating figure of Alibaba and returned to the form of Rukh. Circling around for three times, it varnished into the sky as if satisfied by the blonde's declaration.

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Aladdin felt himself falling. He took in the magnificent sight of the universe. What a strange place it was. Almost all the colour was present, mingled so well with each other, creating a master piece of the great art.

His mind strangely calmed. A beam of light swept through him, absorbing his spirit into its path.

He would not say that he liked the way he landed. He went through a portal. Upon his landing, everything was a blur and for some obvious reason, it hurt as his head collided with the floor.

He grunted and groaned in pain, dusting himself as he tried to stand. It wasn't that hard for him to regain his footing since he was not entirely solid now. By not entirely solid, he meant it to be physically since his spirit was the only part of him that got transported. However, he had to say that seeing his own body went wobbly like jelly amused him…like a lot?

Slowly drawing in the atmosphere of the place, he grew stiff. There was someone there.

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Alibaba exchanged fierce slash with his new opponent that highly resembled a leopard. He could have won if not for his magoi to run out at the last minute. Cursing his misfortune, he barely dodged the incoming slashes.

With a little prayer, he hoped that this would be the last opponent he had to face for it was time for plan B. Some oil and a flicker of flame set the other on fire.

Surprisingly, flame didn't really affect him much. Oh, well, his true intention never lied there anyway. His sword greedily licked away the flame, reforming itself into its huge form. With a clear swipe, his opponent was there no more.

It only lasted a moment but it was worth it. His body cried out in exhaustion and his lungs took in every breath like it was his last. All that didn't manage to stop him though, he needed to continue on.

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The bright haired Fanalis never failed to try her best. Her steps were light like some sort of dance but her force was great. On her brows was sign of annoyance as she couldn't find an opening to approach the head monkey.

Morgiana thought quickly, taking her lack of strength and speed into consideration. Using one of the many monkeys as stepping stone, she claimed her place at one of the high structure of the palace.

Slowly but steadily, she gained more energy and speed from her movement across the high places. Finally gathered enough speed, she clashed down among the monkeys. They never stood a chance as they shattered, flying here and there.

Morgiana delivered her deadly kick through the head monkey and everything was over with one of the high structures collapsing onto the remaining beasts, thus, ending them instantly.

It must be quite a scene though for the other spectators outside…

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With all the guards defeated, Alibaba finally reached the throne room. The sight that greeted him was not pleasant. He struggled to force back a look of disgust. Apparently, no one had cleaned away the mess yet.

Alibaba couldn't help but bitterly thought about the inhumanity Ahbmad had shown. That only further confirmed his desire to bring him down, to change this broken country.

"_Balbadd will fall into darkness."_

He knew fully well that Aladdin wasn't lying when he said that. His eyes stayed firmly on the weird Banker who continued to fuel the king to go against him, to ignore all the suffering the people had gone through, to let Balbadd fall…

Alibaba was furious. He desperately explained the situation, heck, more like shouting his sense into the guards who was trying to apprehend him under the fat king's order. He saw it; their hesitation flashing in their eyes and lacing through their shaky movement. They had noticed; how devastating the country had become and they had long for change.

But, their king's order made them think twice. With the death of their peers, they didn't know which to follow. They were lost.

Alibaba didn't blame them as he was held down by the guards. The thing that surprised him the most was his brother, Sahbmad who stood out for him and Barkak who freed him from being held down.

Even when Ahbmad scorned him, even when his pride was gone, trampled away by him, Sahbmad stood more firmly than ever. With the staff in his hand, he ordered.

"The third prince Alibaba and the King's conversation must absolutely not to be disturbed! Put away your weapons immediately!"

If Alibaba said that he wasn't surprised, then that would be a lie. He smiled mentally at the support Sahbmad gave him. However, main things came first. All matters would have to be solved today.

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Aladdin walked past the heaps of books that were messily placed all over the place. The place made a great library. For once, it was the largest library he had ever seen.

Idly, he flipped open one of the books that he happened to come across. The diagrams and words were complicated as expected but what made him confused was not the complex vocabulary but the familiarity of the book. It felt that he had read it somewhere, sometime ago.

He reached for another one and he got the exact same feeling of familiarity. Had he been here before? He closed his eyes to recall. Since he finally got back his memories, might as well check through them. Nope, he didn't recall anything regarding this place.

Maybe his memories weren't complete yet. Maybe, there were more that he had to learn, both the past and the present or maybe even the future.

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Alibaba wasn't sure if it was good or bad to have the princess who was unbelievably Ahbmad's betrothed to join in the play. At least, he got to punch the hell out of Ahbmad earlier so no complaint.

The princess, on the other hand, seemed to not be too pleased to see him here. One thing was for sure, it didn't seem that she was satisfied with the quality of her betrothed either. At least, that was a chance.

After passing around the obligation to hold the title of the King of Balbadd for a while, Alibaba could feel all eyes on him; some hopeful while some remained impassive. Rather than becoming a king, Alibaba had better idea.

"The kingdom of Balbadd is to immediately cease monarchic rule. The people don't want a king. They want to live happily. Even without a king, they can do that."

Rounds of shocked gasps and mutters began to fill the room. Everyone had an entirely shocked face as if seeing the most unbelievable act been done.

He brushed off Ahbmad's accusation which stated that he was trying to destroy 23 generations of Balbadd royalty because he knew that if he didn't do this, then the entire country would be destroyed. The implications hung heavily in the air.

"From here on, Balbadd will be a republic!" That was Alibaba's answer and his determination.

The sudden appearance of Sinbad along with the diplomatic directors he brought alongside him calmed Alibaba. It was great to feel that there was someone who trusted you enough to support you and your idea. However, he knew that he couldn't depend on Sinbad all the time.

It was a bet. Alibaba knew that both him and the princess knew this well. He nearly broke into cold sweats as he tried to argue with the princess. Even he knew that his reasons were hardly valid but one could try and he wanted to be the one trying.

How miraculous it was for the princess to retreat after rounds of heated debate. To tell the truth, he felt sort of dreamy, like it was all just a dream. He scanned over the excited crowd and tried in vain to calm his thrill. Was this real? It wasn't a dream, right? He managed to change this country at last.

"Balbadd will cease to be a monarchy and recreate itself as a republic!"

Alibaba could hear the disbelieve gasps of the people before it melted into uproarious cheers! Alas, the country had been saved from continuing to sink. Alibaba couldn't stop a triumph smirk across his façade as the loud cheers of the people resumed to echo throughout the space.

'Are you watching now, Aladdin?' He thought, sending glance down once again towards the people of Balbadd who was once helpless but now they were strong.

Even though everything was going on well now, Alibaba couldn't shake the sensation that something huge was going to happen; something bad.

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Aladdin fell out of his mediation stance, falling flat onto the floor with a 'yelp'. Pushing himself up, he grumbled and frowned. He glanced back at the figure several feet away and with a defeated sigh, he drew out, "Guess you're right. I can't reach him as well. Something is set up to block against this."

He stared up at the high ceiling, lying down with his back pressed against the marble floor. It was only lucky that he got here early or else he was sure that he would have been blocked away as well like how Judal was now. To think the organization would go through such length just to make sure they wouldn't escape their clutches. How sickening…

His companion gave a solemn nod at his previous statement. Somehow, the frown on the other's face and the lips that were curved downwards still stayed, even when Aladdin was viewing it in an upside down manner.

The child sat upright when he heard a slight fluttering of wing that he knew so well. A bright Rukh came down from above, swirling past through the air until it reached him and stayed in front of the child. Aladdin stretched his hands out and received the Rukh back.

Cupping it carefully between his palms, Aladdin stared at the Rukh, noting every movement it made and every chirp it sounded. This one was specially dispatched to, well, keep an eye on things. Soon, Aladdin found himself grinning sheepishly with a tinge of pride.

While the other in the room threw him a questioning glance, he returned the glance with another prideful smile though the smile didn't last long as it gave way for a look of fear and anxiety. Finally, almost as if centuries had passed by, Aladdin slowly moved to the Rukh before him.

The Rukh which was a part of him...there was a bit of greyness on its wings that were being flapped restlessly since its arrival. Cautiously and carefully, Aladdin ghosted over his Rukh and experimentally attempted to prick away the slight darkness.

"The outside…everything seems to be under control now," Aladdin stated, not doubt directing this to his companion. "…but, the real threats are just beginning."

Long given up the task to remove the tinge of darkness in those bright wings, he curled his fingers gently around the Rukh until he felt a tad of warmth spreading through him and when he reopened his palm, the Rukh was already gone back to where it belonged.

"Now, what should we do…Ugo?"

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"**Swing, pendulum. Reverse the flow of fate." **

Black Rukh twirled, dressing an army that was marching forward towards the palace; all with an unreadable expression on their faces as they moved towards the end. Amidst them, stood Kassim; His eyes narrowed at the sight of their destination.

The people had tears in their eyes as they cheered on. This sight irked Kassim. How simple minded. Couldn't they see the truth that nothing would change?

Kassim's and Alibaba's eyes locked with each other. Imagine his shock when he heard that this country no longer had a king and that Balbadd belonged to the people now. To lose his reason to fight, he took in the sight of the people who was once crying in grief but now they were smiling and cheering with all their might.

Alibaba never failed to impress him, not even once in the past. Even though Kassim told him that he hadn't had any power to change anything, here he was; standing at the highest place of the palace, watching this country changed beneath his hands.

He was impressed that Alibaba had come out with a solution to stop him and his plan but nothing he did now would numb the pain, the pain of loss and the pain of how different they could be. If not, the situation only further enhanced and strained on the difference between them.

To start a war or chaos was easy. All he needed to do was to remind the people about the pain and sufferings they were forced to go through. With every twist of his words, everything went wrong but for him, it went better and better. His words preyed the weak-minded people like deadly poison and soon people began to side with him, shouting in defiancce.

"**Fate has begun to flow in reverse." **A figure loomed over the crowd and he smirked at the satisfying cries of the people. Now, what would you do?

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"I know I have asked this before but have we met before?" Aladdin couldn't put a finger on it. It was a strange, strange feeling. However, despite his questioning from time to time, the other wouldn't answer him. "You look awfully familiar for some reasons."

He knew that talking to a head was as weird as it sounded but surprisingly he wasn't as shocked as he thought he would be. It was the same one that talked to him in his many dreams, telling and showing him fragments of his lost pasts.

To face him personally now, Aladdin wasn't sure how he felt. This Djinn, Ugo was so much nicer than he could imagine, probably due to the bad impression he had gotten ever since their last clash but he had explained his reasons, something about preventing them from killing someone that had yet fated to die, thus in turn changing the fate.

He cared none of those now and he found himself uncharacteristically forgiving the one before him despite the fact that it had hurt like hell. He did, if not a little, regret his recklessness and lack of self-control back then. It was pretty irrational of him to brutally murder someone without hearing out their reasons and he was secretly grateful that he didn't manage to kill them, that he didn't kill Alibaba.

Well, all that was in the past now. Whatever had happened would not be changed but he had to admit that Ugo went through some drastic measures to make sure that they didn't alter the flow of fate. At least, Judal was fine. He was alive and surely would be running about in no time. That was something he truly believed in.

He wanted to meet with the elder soon. It was a pity that they couldn't meet here. No matter how he and Ugo tried, the Rukh's path was hindered. Curse them and their wicked way, all had been in vain to bring Judal here.

They woud definitely be pouring a large portion of black Rukh, just to oppose the white ones' force. Where they were getting the black ones was nonetheless worrying.

"_I presume that you have already known that they are someone who wishes to reverse the flow of fate."_

Aladdin came back to his senses as Ugo spoke.

"Reverse the flow of fate?" The child parroted and nodded. "Ah, it must be them…that cursed organisation. To take the forward progress of life and regress it, turning it into nothing or negative or better known as falling into depravity."

Ugo, satisfied by the knowledge of it nodded. _"At that time, you almost lost yourself in hatred. When one curses fate, one falls and the Rukh will be dyed into black."_

Aladdin kept his head low as he stared at the floor. It was all thanks to Alibaba that he didn't fall completely or else he might not be able to learn of his past and he might still be nothing but a pawn. However, there was still unmistakably a part of him that loathed the unfairness of fate and he knew he might not be rid of that part anytime soon. After all, everyone had a strip of darkness in their hearts. He was no exception.

As if reading his thought, a tentacle that functioned as the Djinn's hand moved its way to him, landing softly on his head as if patting him. This caused him to glance up a bit. What greeted him was the smiling face of the other.

"_Fate may be cruel and indifferent sometimes but every happening has their purposes and reasons. During these few months, you travelled and met a lot of different types of people, you gained friends. You encountered different situations, you gained experiences. A life countering the wheel of fate is a sad one. We lived and went on with life, gaining every moment and experiences so that we may, one day know our own purposes in life."_

Aladdin stared in awe. His hands reached to touch the spot the tentacle pause on and he smiled. Maybe, it wasn't that hard of a life and maybe there was still something worth in this fate thingy. He would just have to open his eyes and see all those happy times he had had and he was sure that he would find the life he was living a beautiful one like the painted scenery in his mind.

Then, there was a sudden shock. Something was wrong. That point was proven when Ugo showed him an image of the outside world in which people began to rebel and chaos ensured.

"_If things go on as it is now, your friend will perish and the country will be devoured by the darkness. Now, it's time for you to choose; to save or to destroy. If your heart desires, then so be it. You are the one who will change this world."_

"_**Now, tell me, what's your choice?"**_

* * *

**Thanks for the response you lovely readers gave~ **

**And oh dear, I reached 100+ reviews. You guys are amazing!**

**Before I forget, I had finished colouring the chapter cover and you may find it on my deviantart (Refer back to the A/N a few chapters before). Of course, I make a small piece of sketch somewhere along the way.**

**Anyhow, I'll be resting now. #pull blanket over#**

**Signed,**

**ReneeNCC**


	19. Chapter 19 : Towards the End

**Chapter 19 : Towards the End**

_Seek not greatness, but seek truth and you will find both. ~_**Horace Mann **

"_To save or to destroy, it's your choice."_

"I can choose?" Aladdin asked. To think that he would have to make such a big decision…to save or to destroy...It wasn't meant to be a hard choice but now he knew that he would have to give it more thoughts. Sure, he wouldn't want to destroy everything but that didn't mean that he wanted to save everything.

"I had destroyed many times before and I think I might have saved a life or two on the way…but to choose between the tendency to destroy and the will to save...it's the first time I have such a dilemma since a long time ago."

Ugo kept silent. The tenderness in his eyes encouraged the child to go on.

Aladdin looked past Ugo into the window he opened. Alibaba was trying so very hard in order to save his country. That was an act of saving. Meanwhile, the leader of the riot, Kassim was determined to destroy. That was an act to destroy. How ironical, sometimes, to save meant to destroy as well. They balanced out each other just like yin and yang.

Aladdin wasn't that noble to save everyone. He knew he wasn't. However, he wasn't selfish enough to destroy, to tear apart the people. He stared at Alibaba while he thought of Judal. Finally, a smile spread across his face and he realised his own choice. His lips parted and he allowed the words to flow sincerely from his heart.

Ugo felt his own eyes widen involuntarily at the firm declaration that followed. He should have known that this was coming from the child. After all, he always did something so unpredictable. A soft sad smile went past his face and he could only pray that the child didn't notice this.

"_Even when people tried their hardest to repel darkness, it will not be enough,"_ Ugo stated. _"When the world turns to the darkness, the people need the power to cut away and cut across the darkness. In other word, a miracle and this is the power entrusted to you; the wisdom of my master, Solomon's Wisdom."_

As he spoke, tentacles came and encased Aladdin safely into an orb. It was warm, very warm and he could feel himself dozing off.

"_Farewell, Aladdin."_

The said child jerked and looked down towards the figure. It was the first time he had heard the Djinn say his name, yet it sounded so right in his mouth. Damn, what was wrong with him? He could feel unknown tears in his eyes. The image of Ugo blurred and shrank away from his view as he was lifted up towards the door.

He turned away to face the door for a second as it threw open as if welcoming Aladdin with open arms. The transparent salty liquid took their turns down his cheeks and he wiped them off hurriedly though totally baffled by the sudden flow of liquid.

Sparing one last look back, he could see the Djinn waving with his arms that were consisted of white tentacles. Words came spewing out the next moment and Aladdin was further confused by his own actions.

His voice rang through the space and he could tell that Ugo was genuinely surprised as well.

"If we ever meet again, let's be friends, okay?"

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It was a long journey back to the surface and Aladdin knew it. How many marvellous sight he had passed? He had already lost count of it. However, the one that caught his attention the most was a sphere-like planet that was shining in brilliance.

'What's that?' He questioned; eyes shimmered at the sight of it.

"**This is the entrance to a great maelstrom of knowledge." **Aladdin looked around but there was no one there. The voice once again stole his attention as whoever it was spoke again. **"Look. Each little speck is a particle of the world's truths."**

"**You will travel amongst them all and be reborn anew, Magi." **Sure, he could do that. After all, the more he learnt the better. He had gotten tired of being the one not knowing and oblivious of this world and even himself.

"Who are you?" Aladdin decided that that would be his first knowledge to learn but this mysterious person didn't intend to spoil the surprise.

"**All will be clear once you complete this long journey." **Aladdin managed a pout at that statement and if he didn't know better, he would say that the other actually chuckle at that.

'Every speck is a particle of truth, huh?' Aladdin echoed in his mind, zooming past clusters of the shinning particles. 'I wonder what I will be able to learn by the end of this.'

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Everything was falling apart.

Sinbad could see the dread of the situation. Everyone was fighting. People were killing off each other. Defence were broken and more chaos incurred. Was this what Aladdin meant? This sight of utter chaos and growing darkness?

Alibaba was giving out order like a true leader. Sinbad noticed. Despite the situation, Sinbad gave a small smile at the bravery the other shown. Watching the blonde's back as he headed down to face off Kassim, Sinbad had this deep feeling that one day, Alibaba would be able to do something great. But now, the main problem was stopping the rebels. Picking up a sword from a random guard, he decided to give a hand to the soon be leader.

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Kassim effectively ignored the voices of joy of his comrades behind him as they went past the second gate with little to no problem at all. It was all too easy. Kassim knew that he should be feeling happy too but his spirit was not lifted, no matter how he told himself that his goal was near. It was like a vast emptiness had just settled down in his heart, constantly bugging him and he couldn't bring himself to smile at the pull of longing in his heart towards something that he himself wasn't sure of.

Fire. It danced its way around them, circling them like a trap. Kassim knew exactly who to expect. It was Alibaba. He joked about his apparently 'scary' face and put on his feigned smile. A country without the reign of a king. It sounded like a fantasy for Balbadd and when it truly happened, Kassim had lost it. He realized that he never wished for a country without king.

He directed all his anger towards Alibaba. No one should be that different. Everyone was human so why must they be discriminated. They should be treated equally. Anyone should be able to become king!

His increasing anger fuelled his weapon further, gathering more and more power. He threw each attack heavier than the ones before. A heavy blackness was called upon and he launched it towards Alibaba, confident that it would be able to end him once and for all.

The blonde, however, stared at the incoming black orb. Even when his limbs were held in place by the dark mist, his determination went far beyond any limitation. Flying into rage, he called for his Djinn, commanding him to lend him the strength he needed.

With swift cut, the black powerful orb remained no more and with several sweeps, their weapons broke. In mere few seconds, he stood before Kassim. His sword levelled and leaned close to the other's neck.

"Call back your troops or I will make you," he declared. He could only hope that it came out as stern as he wished to. However, Kassim's answer made his heart sink.

What a fool Kassim was. By saying those depressing things, Alibaba could see just how much determination rested within Kassim. He was even willing to die. Shocks and hesitation filled him as Kassim moved closer and closer to him, ignoring the blade that dug into the skin of his neck, scorching hot as they came in contact.

In less than a second, he made his decision. He couldn't do it. No matter how much harm Kassim had made, no matter what had happened, he was still Alibaba's friend; a dear one. He really wanted to believe that there were still some alternatives, some chances for Kassim. He didn't take note of the tear he let loose as he called for the other to just give in and stop everything. That way surely he could be saved.

Instead, Kassim laughed. He laughed at how naïve Alibaba was. Sparing glances at the surrounding guards that were painfully tensed and his fallen comrades, Kassim sighed. He stared up at the gloomy sky, knowing that it might be the last chance he would ever see the sight. The broken blade was raised.

"Curse my fate…huh," Kassim muttered half-heartedly and the blade was brought down upon himself. Pain flooded his sense as he felt the blood bloom behind him, splattered like firework, shattered like petals of a rose. He staggered in his steps, yearning for power. Just you see every single one of them would learn his power.

Pain, unbearable pain rained down upon him as the blades imbedded themselves into him. When his initial pain gave way, another wave would come, stronger and harder than before. He could feel himself changing. His form melted away into something larger and more powerful…yes, he liked that term. Behold! He had become more powerful than ever. The surge of power that went throughout his entire body was delicious but his eyes were clouded as they no longer saw.

What he could perceive was only rage; an insane amount of them coiling around his very being. He let out a roar.

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Alibaba could only watch in sheer horror when Kassim attacked, dispatching dark orbs that swallowed up whatever it touched.

"Alibaba, get a hold of yourself! Everyone will die if you don't!" Mor shouted, jolting him back into his senses. However, he didn't seem to be able to think straight as his mind was stuck at the thought and denial of this monster in front of him being his friend.

Even when the dark Djinn fell right in front of him, he failed to process anything right. No, he couldn't hurt him. It was his friend. The fallen being didn't stay still for long as it collected itself with the dark, cackling orb inside his palm.

Instinctively, Alibaba struck. His heart clenched tightly as he heard the howling of pain. Despite that, he knew he had to go on. He had to put an end to this.

To his utter surprise, the other didn't like the idea of losing one arm and regenerated, drawing strength from the Black Rukh. With another piercing howl, the monster grew larger and definitely stronger.

By its command, Morgiana was thrown out of the palace ground, directly into the concrete wall. Gritting her teeth in pain as she ushered her body to move, she couldn't help but notice the people panicking. It was the dark Djinn.

With its enormous palms outstretched, power gathered; large enough to send the people cowering by the corner.

"Stop!" Alibaba had yelled as he realised its target. His heart was beating off like crazy when he subtly knew that he wouldn't make it. Even if he did, he couldn't do anything about it.

A blur of white went past the sky and onto the Djinn, wrestling it down. Alibaba let a small sigh of relief left him, seeing that Sinbad had lent him a hand.

"Alibaba, I'll hold him down. You need to finish him off! This thing wants to kill off everyone involved with the monarchy here in Balbadd! It wants a revolution!" Sinbad hollered, trying his best to hold the struggling Djinn down even when the nails dug into his shoulder, he paid no heed.

Alibaba knew all along what decision he had to make by the end of it. It was just that he was being too naïve, refusing to accept that Kassim was no longer there, that his friend was already gone. He regained his strength to grip onto his sword, engulfing the metal with his flame. He charged.

Pushing the sword further into the dark monster, he was shocked to find that he could not penetrate it. He begged and pleaded for more strength and the power to pierce through this thing and it would all be gone; this ruckus and tragedy would all varnish.

"Ali…baba?" A voice so soft and fragile broke his determination and he was reminded about the fact that that very same thing he was trying to kill was Kassim. That moment of hesitation led to him been thrown away from the Djinn, crashing into yet another wall.

Sinbad, too was removed from its back and hurled forward. Alibaba half expected him to crash into the wall as he did but thankfully, Morgiana was back.

Alibaba couldn't find his resolve. Kassim always popped up in his mind as he tried to charge up his blade. Every single glance back at the creature made Alibaba waver. Who was he? Why was he so lost in front of this creature even though he knew it was no longer the one that he hoped for?

Yells and cries of determination shook him. Platoons of soldiers marched forward; their spears in hand and a dread feeling deep down each of their hearts but never once did they back out. They fought even though they knew it would do nothing to scratch the monster. They still fought, desperately buying time for him; all for his sake.

Why? Why were they willing to do such a thing? Alibaba had wondered.

"_It is because you're Alibaba. That's why."_

That was right. His lips parted before they pursed into a tight line with the edges curving slightly upwards. What was he doing getting all worked out and confused? He was Alibaba, the Third Prince of Balbadd. That was all he needed to know. That was all he ever needed…

'I'll put an end to all this,' Alibaba mused. With all his strength, he let out a war cry and leaped, higher than he could ever imagine, straight down towards Kassim. Everyone looked on in shock and anticipation; everything was finally going to end.

Alibaba's heart leaped in unison of his anxiety and nervousness. His sword was light in his hand and he manoeuvred it well, bringing it down in one clear sweep…until someone got in the way.

He could hardly register anything as he was sent flying down, crashing into the hard, solid floor. Floating in the air a few metres above him was someone he never expected to see. Judal, fully recovered with a scowl on his face as if he was disturbed from his rest.

Sinbad stared as the supposed-to-be injured magi exchanged a few words with the masked man. He watched in utmost confusion and shock when Judal frowned and glared before he flew into rage.

Without further warning, the dark haired magi leaped over the beast, slamming his fist down the Djinn and there was an explosion of magic. The Djinn hollered and shifted into something bigger and more horrifying.

What exactly had caused him to burn with such rage? Sinbad questioned mentally but never mind the reasons, he needed to stop him. He got up, only to be pinned down by ice shards; each of them sharp and offending against his skin. It was clear that any movement he made would cause him to lose a limb.

"Where is he?" A low growl came from the magi. His red eyes were mercilessly sharp and fierce and his grip on his wand was tight and painful. "Where is he?"

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Judal's mind was in a jumble. First, he was asked to be there when he could have been peacefully asleep, only to take care of small flies that were too much for them to take care of. And then, he was brimming with overwhelming power. It had been quite a while since he felt so powerful. However, what sent his heart pounding with anxiety was the absence of one's presence. He couldn't feel him even when he stretched his senses. He couldn't feel Aladdin's Rukh. The warm and bright presence was no longer there.

Therefore, imagine his anger when the other informed him that Aladdin was currently in the idiot king's hands. Fear engulfed him; the fear of losing Aladdin; the fear of not seeing the younger again. The feeling pushed Judal on edge. His fear soon dissolved into undeniable rage. He would never forgive anyone who dared to hurt the other.

He took control of the dark Djinn and was on rampage in the next second. Dark orbs coated with electric were sent one after another, aiming straight towards Alibaba. Mor leaped away from each attack, grabbing the blonde together in their escape.

But, eventually they would run out of strength and there would be next to no hope for them to survive, let alone saving anyone.

'Aladdin, where are you?' That was Alibaba's thought as they barely escaped another fierce attack that was packed with hatred and the intention to kill.

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The town was a mess. Fire licked down the buildings and houses that were once firm and tall. The streets that were once filled with laughter and joy were now filled with the horrible stench of metallic liquid and the chocking scent of burning flesh.

Ja'far, meanwhile was trying his very best to apprehend the ones causing such a mess, despite the fact that he intended to go to the palace to help.

"This place is complete pandemonium," One of the thieves that had managed to steal the metal vessels from the king noted. They had decided that they would return this to the king but now, they had no idea where to find the said person.

"Brother," A voice from his left halted him and he stared back towards the taller that was looking up into the sky.

"What's the matter?" He questioned. His question was answered almost immediately when something so brilliantly white and sparkling made its way down towards them. It was…no they were white birds; so many of them. They continued to stare in awe and nearly jumped out of their skins when a voice came from the surrounding. It seemed to echo throughout the space circled by these white creatures.

"**My, so it is you guys who took them. Do you know how hard it is for me to locate you in this chaos?" **A suspiciously childish voice it was.

"Who…what are you?" The shortest one yelled, failing miserably in comprehending the situation.

"**How rude…Anyway, you need to return those to Sinbad, hurry!"**

"We intended to but the problem now was that where could we find him?"

A sound that sounded like a sigh followed.

"**Just…stay here with the other two. I'll go get him."**

"The other two?" He parroted. However, he received no response this time as the bird like things departed into the air and returned as sparkles they were.

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"Morgiana! Do you think you could throw me up there?" Alibaba declared suddenly. Mor followed his gesture, only to widen her eyes in shock. Were you crazy? She wanted to ask. If she threw him there, directly towards the enemies, there would be a meagre chance of survival.

A few moments of deliberation and arguments confirmed Mor's fear. It wasn't just about him surviving alone, it was about saving others.

"Okay." That simple word that left her lips felt heavier than usual. She wanted to be his strength. If anything, she wanted to be the one who could help him even if she had to do this. So, Morgiana threw with all her strength, sending the blonde high into the air.

That failed like she thought it would. Judal flared with rage and madness. Blinded by anger, he struck down Alibaba before materialising a sword blanketed with the dark purplish magoi.

A crack, a gasp and the sword was broken. Yet, he never gave up. Alibaba tried and tried, again and again, up and down in the air, trying to reach his opponents. No matter how his body sang out in exhaustion, no matter how his mind was telling him that it was useless, his gut pushed him forward. It told him to not give up just like Aladdin who had told him so.

Aladdin…Where was him? A part of the blonde couldn't help but worried about the child. For some unknown reasons, Judal seemed more upset than angry. It might sound crazy but to Alibaba, it seemed that the magi was crying out in pain and fear.

It was all because of Aladdin. He concluded. Alibaba's strength was depleting and he glanced up towards the magi who was too keen in killing him to notice the slight change in the atmosphere around them. Alibaba noticed.

Unlike Judal who was blinded by anger and fear, Alibaba spotted it; a tiny speck of light at the corner of his eye. He proceeded to hold out a weak hand to welcome it. It did come closer and Alibaba cradled it as if he feared that it would disappear. The pulse of presence was familiar and Alibaba let a smile across his face.

"Aladdin is still here!" He called out suddenly, pulling the small fragile creature near his chest, feeling the warm glow from the single Rukh. Judal, who had obviously not expected this, froze. A small hope was there in his eyes but as he was reminded who exactly the one speaking to him was; he let that small hope gone and hardened his will.

There was no way that was true. They were just going to trick you. Those thoughts were what made Judal grow still. He growled while the blonde continued to spew out nonsenses; that Aladdin was here.

"Stop speaking his name in front of me! You have no right to!" Judal finally exploded. He brought down his wand, throwing order at the Djinn which moved to end the blonde.

That was when everything seemed to go in slow motion. The air shifted to allow a beam of light to go through alongside with dozens of glowing orbs. Everything erupted into bright and blazing flame.

That was nothing to Judal. The fact that the occurrence was made special for Judal was because of the presence he felt within the light. It was there. There was no denying in this. He could feel Aladdin. He was there.

Within the flame, stood a figure. His discernible braid danced along with the wind and the blazing flame was reflected in those blue eyes that held wonder.

"Aladdin…" Gasps of surprise followed after his arrival yet he said nothing. His eyes were glued on Judal's crimson ones. Staring at each other for the longest moment, Aladdin finally broke off the contact by scanning through his surroundings.

"Ah, such a mess~" He sang out as though it had been an accident and not a war that was happening around him. Despite his casual tone, if you squinted hard enough, you could catch the tiny amount of seriousness behind his eyes.

"Hold up your sword, Alibaba," Aladdin commanded. Alibaba threw a baffled look towards the child. His mouth flew open to argue.

"But…" He trailed off, sparing a glance down at the broken blade. What exactly was Aladdin planning? He had no idea but there wasn't any option for him. The look that Aladdin gave him silenced his protest and he obliged.

The moment his sword was held up towards the air, its seal shone as it detected the burning messes around it. The flame was cleared away in the matter of second, absorbed greedily by Amon's sword, making Alibaba flashed a grateful and gleeful smile at the now whole sword.

Judal watched the exchange all the while with a confused demeanour. Sure, no word could describe how relieved he had felt when Aladdin was there, alive and kicking but why was he siding with them?

"What are you waiting for?" A silent question jolted him out of his stupor and he stared back at Ithnan who was standing a few feet behind him in the air.

"Can't you see that he is being manipulated by them?" He spat out the words like they disgusted him, boring his lazy yet eager eyes into Judal. "There is only one way to help him; that is to fight."

To say that Judal was taken aback was an understatement. What nonsense! He had to fight Aladdin? His eyes darted in a hurry towards the young child who had moved to meet his glance. The blue colour that reminded him of the sky was now bright and fierce, almost burning in rage.

"When will you stop spewing lies?" Aladdin hissed. Though those words were meant to be whisper, he let the words grow strong on the tip of his tongue, voicing the exact anger and disappointment he had in the organization.

'Lies?' Judal looked between the both of them. The masked man only narrowed his eyes slightly, reminding him constantly that the Aladdin now was not the same so it was best not to listen to the child. But, was that really the case here?

He was torn, between Aladdin and the organization. What was the truth and what exactly were lies? Who should he believe and who was the true liar here?

Judal was in such a dilemma, tossing the dice in his mind but no matter how much he pondered on the matter, he still ended up confused. A yell snapped him from his thought. Recognising the voice immediately, his eyes travelled to stop at the blonde who he was trying to eliminate.

"Aladdin is no lying. Neither are we. It is perfectly understandable if you don't trust us, but at the very least, trust Aladdin…he is your brother, isn't he?"

Judal never liked the blonde much but for this once, he was drawn to what he was saying and he found himself doubting again. The blonde seemed to want to speak more but a raise of hand halted him. Aladdin stopped him.

The brothers gave each other a long, hard look. A look beyond understanding and beyond any ties in the world. Finally words began to form at the younger's lips.

"Do you trust me?"

Those four words gripped Judal's heart and he felt a pang of guilt and a mixture of complex feelings erupting inside him. Subtly, his grip on the wand tightened. He saw it in Aladdin; a warm and stern light within those pools of blue. However…

Judal pulled up his wand and magic gathered at the tip of it. He muttered words of apology as the strength increased, sending waves of pressure to the crowd. He was going to attack.

Alibaba was alarmed instantly. His blade held in front of him as he prepared for battle. Before he could move forward though, an arm shot out to hold him, stopping him in his advance. He turned and the one holding onto him shook his head. The blue bang swayed alongside with the motion.

Reluctantly, Alibaba stepped back, trusting the child fully. That didn't stop him from being tense though. He glared at the figure above, feeling his teeth gritting painfully. If he ever dared to attack his own family, then Alibaba would make sure that he cut him down, alive or not.

Judal knew; since the beginning that in those blue stormy eyes, they held no lies. He breathed out silently and admired the trust Aladdin had shown him. He couldn't help but wondered, how did he look now in the eyes of the younger? What was Aladdin thinking at the moment? One thing that he could ever be sure of was that Aladdin trusted him.

His grip on the wand loosened before it returned. He steeled his heart and his eyes narrowed with a small glint of light within them.

"I trust you." It was a statement without any doubt. Before anyone could comprehend the situation, he swung his wand, sending the ball of magoi to its destination; straight towards the masked man.

An explosion followed closely. It shook the whole compound with its immense power. Everyone stared in shock at the place where Ithnan once stood as dust was stirred up rapidly before they turned towards Judal who was smirking rather devilishly.

"Sorry, old man, you're on your own this time," The dark haired magi shrugged as if it was the most natural thing to do after you blasted someone. Grinning, he dove down until he reached directly in front of Aladdin. The others tensed around them but not Aladdin and Judal was grateful for that.

His hand reached out to mess with the blue locks, earning an annoyed pout from the child and a slap on his hand as the child tried to bat his hand away from terrorising his hair. Despite that, the look of relief and joy that crossed his face was not left unknown to Judal and all the doubt he once had was executed by that look. Screw the organization. He was going to do what he wanted, enough following orders like a good puppy.

Before any form of word could be exchanged, a shriek of fury reverberated from behind and they all craned their necks towards the source of the sudden noise. Standing though a bit staggering in the air was Ithnan. His eyes were wide in rage and shock; contrast to his usual calm self.

"You fool…" He hissed like a serpent. "How dare you…"

"How dare I what?" Judal cut in. "Defy and attack you?"

A snort and Judal laughed. "Well, too bad for you. My only regret is that I didn't do that sooner."

Sighing, Aladdin nudged Judal slightly as if reprimanding him but the smirk on his face said otherwise. All in all, they were pissing the hell off Ithnan.

The hiss from the other grew into a low, feral growl and he raised his staff into the air. The Djinn roared, responding to the gesture. Instantly, Judal let his smile falter as he felt the small irritating tug within him.

Judal glared while the others stared questioningly after him, wondering what exactly had brought him out of his previous good mood.

"Wrong move, old man, no one snatch what is mine," Judal voiced. His voice dropped icy cold and ice spears began to form beside him; all aiming at the same target. Aladdin watched for a while and noticed what was wrong from the way the Rukh fluttered; Ithnan and Judal was currently engaged in a tug of war, fighting for the control over the dark Djinn. It seemed that Judal was having the upper hand as expected but the other was putting up a good fight.

Aladdin smiled smugly and almost wickedly before turning towards Alibaba.

"I'm giving you one last toss so get ready, Alibaba!" He yelled, grabbing the blonde's attention immediately.

"Wha-" Not giving Alibaba any chance for questioning, Aladdin released a surge of magic, allowing Alibaba to be carried off the ground. Ah, now Alibaba knew what that meant. The blonde wobbled and panicked but managed to pull himself together.

"Ready, set and go!" Aladdin exclaimed excitedly. And so, Alibaba flew, being thrown in a perfect straight line towards the Djinn.

"You better save your friend Alibaba or you will surely get it later!" If one had not known better, one would say that it was a joke but something told Alibaba that the threat was not to be taken lightly. Gulping nervously, he drove his sword straight into the Djinn which had paused as a result from the struggle for control between the other two.

His heart throbbed rapidly when the dark Rukh swallowed him, engulfing him in the eternal darkness. And so, he was gone, deep into the Djinn.

Aladdin watched as the blonde disappeared into the Djinn. He could only hope that the blonde could make it through without being swept away by the other's thoughts and emotions. Yeah, one could only hope. A smack behind his head brought him back to reality.

He yelped, turning towards the attacker and yelled, "What was that for?"

Red eyes blinked and glinted in annoyance. "No, what was that for? You could have warned me that you're going to throw someone into the Djinn. You almost make me break my concentration."

"But, it's almost, right? So no harm done!" The young one argued, sticking his tongue out rather childishly.

"Oi! That's the umpteenth time you did something like that!" Judal continued, not wanting to lose and effectively ignoring the fact that they were having banter in the middle of a fight.

"So you must have to be prepared or at least get used to it, right?"

"Umm…" Sinbad who was now free, tried to remind them that they were still amidst a battle field but nothing he did seemed to be able to get their attentions.

"How could someone be prepared or even get used to something like that?" More debate ensured. Sinbad and Morgiana were staring rather dumbly at the heated argument the two magi were in.

"Umm…Guys…BOTH OF YOU STOP THAT!" Sinbad shouted, successfully gaining the attentions of the duo. However, he didn't expect their response.

"SHUT UP!" They shouted back simultaneously and returned to their banter.

Feeling quite loss and dejected, Sinbad stood like a stone statue before scratching the back of his head in defeat.

After what seemed like years, they broke off the argument; each with a small 'hmph'. Both the king and the female Finalis sighed at the sheer childishness and awkwardness of the situation.

"Truce?" Aladdin offered, being rational enough to realize that they were in the middle of an important business and Sinbad thanked whoever entity above for that.

"Fine," Judal let out incoherent grumble but agreed nonetheless. They then directed their attentions back towards Ithnan who surprisingly stayed silent and unmoving throughout their banter. The old man needed rest. Judal had claimed rather smugly. Even so, they couldn't shake the bad omen they felt. Nonetheless, they needed to concentrate.

"What can I do to help you, Aladdin?" The young Finalis asked, eager to lend a hand if needed. Aladdin mentioned nothing for a while; his eyes hard and calculative. Finally, as if remembering something, he let out a small sound of realization.

"Mor, can you please take Sinbad to the town?" Aladdin didn't faze when the female gave him a doubtful look. "Go! There is someone waiting for him there."

Morgiana didn't need to be told twice in doing something even if she had her own doubt. However, she squelched the doubt for she too trusted the child and if this was what she could do to help, then she would gladly comply.

As Aladdin felt the air around him moved, he instantly knew that Mor and the king had taken off. All eyes were on Ithnan as he stayed stubbornly in the air.

"Oi, let's go chibi! We're going to teach him a lesson. No one messes with magi and gets away with it!"

Aladdin couldn't agree more.

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Something was wrong. Aladdin noticed. Ithnan was not stupid to fight two magi at once unless he had a dead wish. Judging from the frown on Judal's face, he noticed as well yet the man continued to stand there as if mocking them.

Thus, they struck towards him, firing magoi aiming to kill and eliminate but not once did he moved, even when the attacks were already inches apart from him. Instead, he perished into dark Rukh as the attacks reached him.

That was it; whatever the man had in store for them started now. The duo pressed their backs against each other, keeping watchful eyes towards the surrounding. Ithnan was gone from their sights but his presence was still there though expertly masked and blanketed by the dark Rukh.

They could see the small darkness creeping by the corners, crawling at the ground. Then, all of the sudden, the darkness gathered and moulded itself into a great fence around them."

"What?" Judal voiced when all of the sudden, a tentacle of pure darkness shot out and grabbed him, pulling him with an unimaginable force towards the darkness.

"Brother!" Aladdin's frantic call was the last thing Judal managed to hear as he felt himself falling and drowning in something deep and heavy.

Aladdin perceived horror as Judal was dragged away into the darkness. When he tried to get close to the dark mesh, the blackness would hiss like a living thing and threw their unkempt and wild tentacles towards him.

Curse him! That was his plan all along; to separate them. Knowing that his power wasn't enough to overpower two magi, he schemed this. Aladdin soon found himself enraged. Did he truly think that this could stop him? No, it wouldn't. This was probably the worst scenario he had ever come out with. Aladdin didn't like the taste of separation by the damn organization again so they would have to pay all so dearly. Whoever dared to cross a magi's path must be prepared…

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It was nothing but darkness. Suffocating and sickening. Judal found himself in the embrace of darkness. The endlessness of the dark seemed to punctuate the stillness of the space. Everything was as silent as night where not even a sound of needle dropping could be heard.

From afar, Judal managed to pick up the sound of liquid dropping almost similar to the sound of tear dripping. Overwhelming sadness filled him. Now, this was weird. He couldn't seem to control his feeling. It was as if this place was messing with his mind, bringing out his anger, frustration and every negative feeling in between.

"_You're a magi and our holy priest. You shouldn't mix with the others."_

Voices echoed from everywhere. Judal jolted at the voice.

"_Look! It's the magi!"_

"_Shh! Don't shout!"_

He remembered it to be the time he sneaked out of the palace. Apparently, someone did recognize him and he had no idea then why they avoided him.

"_Are you here to bring war?"_

Judal sighed. His eyebrows knitted together in a frown. War. It seemed to be what he was. Whenever one thought of war, one would think of him. It wasn't his fault. It was just that wherever he waltzed in, a war would soon break out. It was for that reason that he was misunderstood to be the one who brought wars and enjoyed their sufferings.

It wasn't true but what could he do? Everyone seemed to think so, even that idiot king. Before long, he had given up the thought of defending himself and he pretended and continued to lie to himself. He was always a liar; a good liar for himself. He acted like he liked wars when in truth they really, really disgusted him. After all, who would like the scent of blood filling your nostrils every time and the screams that could make you deaf or worse insane.

He hadn't done anything wrong. Well, except maybe a few times. It was always them who wished for the wars. He hadn't done anything in his own records.

"_No one loved you."_

How many hostile glares had he earned? From the country and kingdom they conquered. No one really liked him much let alone loved him. Those who stayed were those who wished to have a share of his power. To make a good use of it for their benefits.

"_Oh, magi! What great power you have!"_

Stupid flattering idiots! He didn't need their lies to feel better. Madly, he swung at the darkness, endeavouring to silent those voices which had been nothing but bother.

"_There is no place for you except here."_

That wasn't true and Judal would prove in. He let out a frustrated yell. The darkness never gave way and Judal stayed helplessly in dark. The thought of Aladdin long escaped his mind.

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"Release big brother or I'll…" Aladdin glared hard down at Ithnan who was hauled out of his hiding place in the dark. The younger's staff pressed dangerously close to his neck. Despite that, the man smirked.

"You'll what? Kill me?" Ithnan questioned. Amusement danced in his eyes. Aladdin said nothing. The intensity of his glare increased by ten folds and his grip on the staff was tightly tensed. Ithnan laughed, tilting his head backwards in his laughing fit.

"Whenever there is light, there is darkness. Even you cannot hide from the darkness within you!" He declared enthusiastically.

"There is light before darkness and there will always be light even in the darkest hour."

Ithnan looked nonchalant at the reply.

"Even if you don't release him, I'll find him."

"How can you do that all alone?"

"Alone? I am not alone…" Aladdin trailed off, earning a questioning glance from the man. He could feel the younger removing his staff from his neck and he almost smirked at the movement. His joy was however, not long lived. A bright beam of light shot down, engulfing Aladdin and Ithnan was momentarily blinded by it.

Rukh. The white Rukh was all there, gathering around Aladdin. Ithnan could feel the pressure in the air. He tried to move but his body wouldn't permit him. He felt drained as if he was stripped of his power.

"Ha…so you've attained it…the Wisdom of Solomon!" Ithnan breathed out; his back connected to the ground as he lost his grip on his body. As if on cue, the light spread out. There, on Aladdin's forehead was the seal of the eight pointed star.

The child turned away from the man, knowing that he wouldn't be able to do anything in his weakened state.

"Will you make it before he loses himself? I wonder." That was followed by a dry laugh and the man stared up into the gloomy sky, finding no strength in moving himself.

"He won't."

Ithnan snapped his head towards the child.

"I won't let him."

Aladdin's eyes spoke volume. They held determination and trust that no one could match. Ithnan stared dumbfounded at the younger before Aladdin disappeared into the darkness.

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Cold and uninvited darkness were always there. It seemed like there was no way he could escape. Judal thought so. Losing hope was more painful than he had once expected.

"_What are you doing here alone?" _

There was voice again but somehow this one was different. Judal looked up from his curling position and he saw a meagre light. Was he hallucinating now? Did the light just speak to him?

"Who are you?" His voice was foreign to even himself as he stared at the light. In turn, the light dimmed a bit as if in deep contemplation, providing Judal chance to see its eight pointed edges clearly.

"_What are you saying, idiot?"_

Judal twitched in annoyance. "Who do you think you're calling an idiot, chibi!"

As soon as those words left his lips, he blinked in surprise. Chibi? Somehow that nickname sounded very familiar and so very precious to him. Tears pricked his eyes and he cursed under his breath, fighting them back. This place was really messing with him.

With what sounded suspiciously like a chuckle, the light glowed, not too bright to hurt him but warm and welcoming.

"_Let's go home…together."_

Home…He liked the sound of that. It reminded him of something…no someone. Judal focused on the vague image his mind pictured. Bit by bit, it came back to him. Blue hue, bright and strong looked back at him and the similar blue braid swung in the air.

"Aladdin!" The darkness shattered.

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A gasp escaped Judal when he finally opened his eyes. Damn, he felt positively exhausted. In contrast to the coldness he felt before, he was warm. Glancing down, he spotted the blue mop of hair in front of him and he could feel the tiny arms around him.

He pulled back enough to look into the other's eyes. With a sigh, he whispered, "Thank you…for bringing me back…"

His eyes closed and he collapsed onto the younger, ignoring the fact that he was currently casting all his weight upon the younger. What he cared the most now was that he was home; at where Aladdin was.

Aladdin held onto Judal tightly as the elder slept away. His face broke into a smile at the sight though he struggled to stand properly.

A crack was heard in the air. White Rukh blasted from the Dark Djinn and the dark clouds were dispersed. Little droplets of light moved upwards into the sky like rain.

Aladdin breathed in the air that was now free of malice. His hands rested on Judal's hair, brushing some of the lank hair away from the elder's face. It was all over now. Of course, he didn't miss the darkness that was quietly slipping away but he let him go. The seal on his forehead faded.

Within the ring of brightness, he saw the blonde crying for his lost friend.

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"**We've been had."**

"**But there's nothing we can do about it…"**

"**We will continue to create darkness on this planet for all eternity."**

"**We're created by our Father to be the true union of people. Let it be done as Al Sarmen wills it…"**

Whispers and chants continued to fill the space and the vow of the dark continued…

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One could not alter the past which was why we should be careful of what we had to do even though sometimes it was inevitable for one to lose something important to us. Sometimes, we needed to move on…even though parting ways were always sad.

"People who die don't just disappear," Aladdin muttered softly, glancing at Alibaba's back as the prince sobbed. His grip on his fallen friend was tight as if to remind himself that the one he held in his arms was real and had existed as his friend.

"They returned to the flow of Rukh, the flow that I tried to oppose before." Aladdin slipped Judal's arms across his shoulder and supported the elder. Sparing a look at the clear blue sky, he smiled. His eyes went soft as he glanced at Alibaba.

What an amazing being Alibaba was. Aladdin mused. To fight so bravely for a friend; to shower efforts for his country. Truly, Aladdin had much to learn from here on.

"Aladdin! Alibaba!"

They both turned, only to be greeted by Mor who gathered them in a tight embrace.

"Ah, Mor! You're going to make me drop him!" Aladdin shrieked, struggling to balance himself and his extra weight as the female tackled them down. Despite that though, Aladdin laughed and let himself fall, not minding the fact that the elder might wake up due to the sudden movement. More laughs and chuckles reverberated from the trio while the exhausted king made his way back. Aladdin was the first to acknowledge his arrival.

"So, I take it that you have taken care of Ithnan?" The question was completed with a smirk at the king's blank face.

"…Yeah," Sinbad answered after a moment of deliberation. The king's glance flickered to the brothers as Aladdin settled Judal onto his turban, hoping to provide a comfort for the elder.

"What're you going to do now, Aladdin?" Alibaba asked, wiping away the remains of tears from his eyes. His eyes grew wide with anxiety all of the sudden. "You're not going to go back to the Kou, are you?"

Aladdin said nothing. A shadow was casted upon the bright eyes and for a moment there, Alibaba tightened his grip on his sword which was now useless. Aladdin scanned through them, from each and everyone's face to the blue sky above.

"Just so you know, we're going to drag you back if you ever go back," Alibaba spoke with surprising zest.

"How, may I ask, can you achieve that?" The look Aladdin gave him was pure amusement with a tinge of darkness. Everything was uncomfortably still as they continued to stare into each other's eyes. The turban began to move upwards into the air which alerted Alibaba. He stood, staggering in his steps but his eyes continued to lock with Aladdin's.

Finally, the child snorted and roared in laughter, not the dark one that he had grown used to but a childlike and gleeful one.

"Don't worry about that. I'll rather die than return there." Hope rose within Alibaba and his eyes brightened. "However, that didn't mean that I'll stay with you."

At the answer, Alibaba let his lips purse in a straight line.

"Why not?" Sinbad asked from behind. His frame seemed to be extremely tired but his voice was still strong. Aladdin grinned at the question. A bit of sadness and longing was stirred up within him when his eyes travelled to rest on Judal's sleeping form.

"Firstly, it is best that we don't stay with you. That way the Kou Empire will pay less attention to Balbadd and you can use the chance to save this country. Secondly and finally…there is a place that we both need to be now."

Alibaba's face fell in disappointment, knowing that he couldn't argue with the child for what he uttered was the truth.

"Don't make that stupid face, Alibaba!" Aladdin gushed. Slowly, he held his staff up into the air. "We'll meet again and I know it. Here, take this as a gift of appreciation from me!"

With that, the sky glittered in its utmost brilliance while white beams of light travelled down, revealing thousands of Rukh. Alibaba couldn't believe his eyes when he saw his parents' forms; both looked just the way they were when they died and he was relieved and euphotic to know that they were fine and was finally able to stand side by side like this.

What surprised Alibaba the most was Kassim who stood beside a very playful Mariam. He saw Kassim smiling sincerely at him. That warmed Alibaba. He understood by then that he had managed to save him after all and that those who cared for him would always be by his side.

When he looked up into the sky once more, Aladdin was already gone. Subtly, he had a feeling that the sparkle in the distance was the child.

"Let's meet again…someday."

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"_I destroyed and I saved so I will choose neither of them. They are all parts of me. What I truly wish for…is not the power to destroy or save. I want…the power to protect those I cared for. That's my answer."_

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**Yeah...so umm...this story is coming towards an end. To tell the truth, this chapter can actually be seen as an epilogue but I decided to include another bonus chapter that acted as a filter chapter and maybe as a conclusion chapter to sum things up. **

**Nonetheless, the dear and lovely supports you guys have shown me are highly appreciated.**

**Signed,**

_**ReneeNCC**_


	20. Chapter 20 : Epilogue - Home

**Chapter 20 : Epilogue – Home**

_Home is where the heart is._ **~Pliny the Elder**

_**"We're Al Sarmen and we're here to assist you."**_

_The bright flame that had marked the town in its brilliant red continued to burn albeit quietly despite the screams that threatened to tear apart the sky. The brothers held onto each other tightly; their eyes glued upon the group of mysterious figures._

_The silence they shared was tense and the tension was almost tangible enough to be cut. _

"_You're lying." The silence shattered like a glass being thrown to the cold, hard ground. All their attentions were drawn to the child in the elder's arms who had previously remained as silent as he could. His blue eyes glinted with strong and unwavering strength albeit the fact that a shade of fear was presented within them._

_Aladdin's hands formed small fists, curling tightly around the elder's shirt lest he would be separated from his brother. All the while Judal watched with his eyes narrowed suspiciously at the comers. _

"_We don't lie, child. Now come along and we'll take you to where it is safe." One of the figures voiced. _

"_No," Judal hissed, backing away slowly from the men._

"_Why? Do you wish to remain here?" _

_Biting his lips slightly, Judal's eyes scrutinized the surroundings, aiming to determine the safest route to round these creeps and get the hell out of here. His intention seemed to be clear as some of the men moved, blocking every possible escape paths. Judal could only curse under his breath, holding onto the child that had his eyes glued onto the men._

"_Rukh," Aladdin whispered; eyes searching and tracing along the white creatures. "Rukhs don't lie, you lied." _

_For a few moments there, the men said nothing, merely stayed rooted to the ground as if taken aback. Then, the sudden pressure came and grew. Heavy and almost choking. _

_Time passed and Judal was almost convinced that they wouldn't do anything drastic when he was knocked from behind by an unknown force. He sank to the ground; his arms lost his grip on the blue haired child. The child's eyes were wide in fear as he tried to help Judal. _

"_Then you leave us no choice…" Judal managed to catch that and a dread feeling rose within him. Pushing himself up forcefully, he ignored the pain that embedded itself into his back with his concern solely focusing on Aladdin's wellbeing. _

_He could feel the tiny warmth beside him and he was grateful for the presence of the warmth. The younger's Rukh fluttered restless in sync of Aladdin's worries. Even when the pain became unbearable for his body, Judal merely closed his eyes as he took in deep breaths._

_The red eyes snapped open immediately when he perceived the anxiety of the Rukh. The warmth beside him was snatched away abruptly and Judal's heart missed a beat when he heard the child's yelp of surprise._

"_Let go!" Aladdin cried out, squirming and wriggling in attempt to free himself from the man's clutches. Judal panicked and pushed himself forward. The stabbing pain was there but he still continued forward. His attempt seemed to be futile when he was held down by several masked men that appeared out of nowhere._

_Like an enraged beast, Judal screamed for release; his eyes wide and his limbs scratched against the skin of the offending appendages that grabbed him. His face was shoved roughly to the ground as the men struggled to hold him down._

_Even when the stones dug into his skin, he growled at the sight of the younger being carried off. The child was screaming for him. His chest tightened involuntarily at his uselessness. His fingers curled tightly while his nails hurt his palms. With a strength that he didn't know he possessed, he let out a war cry, feeling the surge of power through him. Beside him, the Rukh flared and buzzed, happily lent him their powers._

_Within seconds, the men were thrown off of Judal and the magi wasted no time to dash forward, towards the other._

_Aladdin's small palm reached out for Judal and he retaliated more in the man's grip. With several kicks and punches, the man stumbled back a few steps until finally, the grip loosened enough for Aladdin to duck away, straight into Judal's arms._

_Panting slightly, Judal embraced the child who had tears of fright streaming down his cheeks. He pressed the child against him, comforting him as best as he could whereas his eyes stayed cautiously at the men who had surrounded them._

"_It's okay…It will be fine." Even though, he knew deep down that nothing would be fine. "Cause I'll protect you no matter what."_

_His words faded and his world turned into darkness as the blackness descended upon them._

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Judal woke up to find himself staring at the dusky sky. Half of the vast blue was now painted red by the leaving sun while the other half was a pleasant midnight blue. For the first time since many years ago, he felt genuinely calm.

"Welcome back."

The soft voice that guided Judal was calming and the elder realized that he had been grabbing onto the younger's arm throughout his sleep. Hesitantly, he let go and slowly sat himself up. His head was spinning and aching but none could compare to the joy and relief that was washing through him at the moment. Aladdin was there, safe with him.

"Does it still hurt? Your head, I mean. I have tried to lessen the pain." The child had spoken so calmly. His hands moved to touch Judal's forehead gently. Judal leaned in to the touch, feeling the numbing pain subsided.

"No, I'm all good," Judal mumbled. On his face was trace of confusion. "That is…"

Aladdin nodded, knowing what would be said.

"…something that happened a long time ago…right here," he completed, looking down at the scenery below. That made Judal curious. The elder peeked through the younger's shoulder and gasped.

They were…This place was… The familiar scent in the air was undeniable and the small hills and the stream were the proofs.

"Welcome home…" Aladdin murmured, smiling tenderly down at the town, well, the remnants of a town.

Judal could only stare at the remains of the once busy town. The broken beams were the only things that indicated the fact that some time ago there stood a house there. He could vaguely spot the dried red hue, marking the horror that the town had passed through. Just like how time seemed to be frozen still, the town slept away without anyone to interrupt it.

Vines and trees alike grew abundantly, covered up the small town back to how it used to be. Whatever that had happened in the past was the past. Now, the town remained unmoved, without a single soul dwelling in it.

Judal's feet touched the ground of the cliff where he could get a bird eyes' view of the whole place. Light breeze, carrying the scent of the blooming flowers caressed his cheek and Judal took the chance to lavish the comforting fragrance of the flora.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Aladdin voiced up behind him.

Sharing a look at the place covered by the nature's ways, Judal gave a nod.

"However, there are still things and horrors that cannot be erased by its beauty," Aladdin stated calmly. His eyes glittered as the sky took on the glowing gold of the setting sun. His voice held a deep sadness. Judal knew.

No matter how many time passed, the truth would remain as the truth. What had this place gone through, they knew it better than anyone else. Despite that, they had to move on. Staying in the same place wouldn't help them get by life. The most important key was to accept and move on.

They spent the rest of the time simply watching the steady flow of the stream, the glittering of the first star and the gentle wind that had accompanied them many years ago. How nostalgic it was. Judal never thought of having the chance to be here again, even though the place was technically a ghost town now.

Their memories still lived in every corner of the town. The place they had been, the times they had spent and the dreams they had shared… they were all born here… at home.

But a huge wind came and torn apart of the very same home they desired, shattering the peace and harmony they enjoyed. Darkness greeted them like an old friend and they had been lied to and they had forgotten what was genuinely important.

Just like this was fine… Judal pondered. How hard was it to stay like this? The world, wars and everything in between could swirl past them for all he ever cared. He just wanted to stay like this with Aladdin. However, that wasn't allowed, not when the threat was still out there, spreading darkness and lies throughout the world.

Judal breathed out to calm himself, tugging Aladdin's braid. The child didn't protest immediately as if drunken in the nostalgic feel this place gave.

"When everything is over, let's go around the place…and see the world more…and then we will come here to rebuild the town into a place where we both can come back…where we can call home." The words left Judal so naturally. Now he thought of it, he was becoming too honest for his own good.

Aladdin flashed a small smile albeit a little sadness was mixed in it. Judal raised an eyebrow at that, wondering what could have been bothering the child but he never stayed too long thinking for the child gave a whisper of agreement. Judal was contented with that and he lied down on the field to stare at the night sky.

"But before that…" The elder began, pulling his palms up into the air. Staring at his open palm, he continued, "We will…"

And the palm was brought to a close as if grabbing onto something.

"**Crush Al Sarmen." **

Both magi vowed under the starry sky.

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Aladdin waited until Judal was fully asleep to sit up. He looked up into the sky in which the stars shone brilliantly but his heart was heavy with a bit longing and sadness.

Sparing another glance at the sleeping Judal, he smiled and gave him a light kiss on the forehead before returning to the arms of Morpheus.

"_Even though I know what we shared now is going to be temporary, I still want to believe your promise and that this moment can last forever and ever…That's what I truly wish to believe…"_

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**THE END.**

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**Thanks a bunch for reviewing, following and adding this story to your favourite list!**

**Your supports are greatly appreciated because you make my first story a success!**

**Actually, I'm planning for a sequel of this but as I said before, this year is going to be an extremely important year for me and if you think you can have your patience tested, then I MAY consider writing one. It's also understandable if you have had enough but you guys have always been great and have made a great difference in my life.**

**I'm sorry if I'm nagging now but I just want to tell you guys how much this has helped me both mentally and physically. It fuels me with the drive to go on in life.**

**Anyways, I might write another story for this fandom if I'm done planning the plot… (blah, blah, blah…)**

**So, finally sequel, anyone?**

**Signed,**

_**ReneeNCC**_


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